Have You Ever Wondered 

• Which city will host the most thrilling matchups, including the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan face-off? 

• Does ICC structure this tournament properly to maintain the balance and encourage fairness in the intense atmosphere? 

• What are the players, prime venues, and matchups fans should monitor for a thrilling cricketing experience? 

These questions are dawdling to the minds of cricket fans all over the world. This year, ICC Women’s ODI World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka at different venues. The series brings excellent opportunity and shapes the future of Women’s cricket.  

The top 8 teams will be competing for the ultimate title, a round-robin format followed by knockout matches, and the final one at neutral venues. The tournament is a chance to display skills, strategy, and sporting diplomacy. 

A World Cup with Global Stakes 

Set from 30 September to 2 November 2025, the ICC Women’s World Cup features eight national teams playing across five host venues: Bengaluru, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati in India, and Colombo in Sri Lanka. Colombo obeys a hybrid hosting structure that addresses both sporting and geopolitical considerations. 

India, the prime host of the tournament, will take the opening stage. The opening match will be held on Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and the team India will compete against Sri Lanka on 30 September.  

Meanwhile, defending champions and perennial powerhouse Australia kickstart their campaign in Indore, squaring off against arch-rivals New Zealand on October 1. 

What makes this tournament particularly notable is the “hybrid model” due to the India–Pakistan bilateral freeze. Pakistan will play all its group matches in the neutral territory. R. Premadasa Stadium of Colombo will host all matches for Pakistan.  

If the nation makes its way to the semi-final or final, those matches will also be held in Colombo. Otherwise, all matches will be played either in Guwahati or Bengaluru.  

This series brings a lot of excitement and zeal among fantasy lovers. Once they download fantasy cricket game online on their phones, they can draft the players based on analytics and real-time performance. After building a winning team, they may earn exciting prizes and real cash by playing in a particular match or throughout the series.  

Recommended reading: India Tour of England in June 2025: Full Schedule, Venues & Key Dates

 Group Stage Overview 

This ICC tournament follows a round-robin format. This implies each team will be played all seven others once. The top four teams will go to the semi-finals. All matches will start at 15:00 IST/SLT.  

Group Stage Fixtures: 

The India–Pakistan Clash: A High-Stakes Neutral Showdown 

The January 2025 Champions Trophy saw India and Pakistan on opposing sides due to renewed tensions. Now, the ODI World Cup brings them face‑to‑face in Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on 5 October at 15:00.  

This time, ICC has taken a crucial decision by selecting a neutral venue (Colombo) for all Pakistan matches, ensuring there will be no further escalation of geopolitical matters between the two nations.  

Venue Insights 

India’s Hosts: 

1. Bengaluru (M. Chinnaswamy Stadium): The stadium will host the opening match. It may host a semi-final or final if Pakistan doesn’t qualify for the final four teams. 

2. Indore (Holkar Stadium): This stadium will organize five nail-biting matches, including Australia vs New Zealand and India vs England. 

3. Visakhapatnam & Guwahati: Each staging four to five matches, including matchups like India vs Australia (Vizag) and semi-final possibilities. 

Sri Lanka’s Host: 

• Colombo (R. Premadasa Stadium): The de facto venue is designed to host all Pakistan’s games (seven round-robin, one semi-final, and final if they qualify). It will also organize marquee matches between India & Pakistan, England & Pakistan, Australia & Pakistan, New Zealand & Pakistan, and South Africa & Pakistan. This venue is prepared to host 11 to 13 matches of the tournament. 

Neutral Venue Dynamics: Balancing Diplomacy and Sport 

This tournament’s “hybrid hosting” reflects a thoughtful ICC intervention designed to: 

• Ensure Pakistan’s participation in a high-profile global event (without compromising India’s hosting obligations) 

• Manage regional political tensions 

• Preserve the integrity and competitiveness of the matches 

It’s a blueprint that echoes past adaptations (like India’s neutral-venue Champions Trophy matches in Dubai) but raises strategic questions, such as the potential advantage an “at-home” environment may offer Sri Lanka and how teams adapt without familiar crowd support.  

Fantasy cricket enthusiasts will also no longer stay behind as the series is approaching. They from promising platforms and start playing with a robust squad.  

Recommended reading: Fantasy Cricket: Tips for Selecting Bowlers and Batsmen

Milestones & Momentum: Tournament Timeline 

• 24–26 September: Warm-up matches begin across host cities, offering an early preview and acclimatization window.  

• 30 Sept–26 Oct: Crucial phase for group matches to decide semi-finalists. 

• 29 & 30 Oct: Semi-finals will be held between this time. The matches will be divided at three promising stadiums (Bengaluru, Guwahati, and Colombo), depending on qualifiers. 

• 2 Nov: The grand finale, hosted in either Bengaluru or Colombo, hinges on Pakistan’s progression. 

Strategic Highlights to Watch 

• Australia vs New Zealand on 1 Oct (Indore): The curtain-raiser for the defending champions, a high bar for New Zealand. 

• India vs Australia on 12 Oct (Vizag): A mid-tournament blockbuster. 

• England’s endurance challenge with matches in Bengaluru, Guwahati, and Colombo throughout. 

• Pakistan’s packed schedule: The nation will play all its matches in the same stadium, ensuring continuity along with mental fatigue. The team will face Bangladesh, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.  

• India’s inconsistent scheduling: India will play its matches in three domestic venues plus the match in Colombo.  

Why This Tournament Matters 

1. Momentum for Women’s Cricket 

The global stage of a World Cup carries unmatched visibility, ICC and media partners bank on large crowds, broadcast demand, and new fan engagement. 

2. Geopolitical Soft Power 

The neutral-venue format is a diplomatic tightrope, ensuring that passionate rivalries like India and Pakistan still light up the field without compromising national policies. 

3. Regional Development 

This time, India has chosen three less-popular venues like, Indore, Guwahati and Vizag, to penetrate newer markets beyond conventional cricket territories. 

4. High-Octane Fixtures 

Fans will eagerly wait for intense actions, especially for matches like India vs Australia, India vs England, and Australia vs England.  

5. An Unparalleled opportunity for fantasy players: 

Apart from watching the action, players can build their favourite teams from various mobile devices. They can play best fantasy cricket game online in India and win real money. 

What Fans Should Do Now 

Mark your calendars: 

• 30 Sept – Opening in Bengaluru 

• 5 Oct – India vs Pakistan must-watch neutral game 

• Mid-October – India vs Australia (Vizag) and India vs England (Indore) 

• 29–30 Oct – Semis 

• 2 Nov – The Final 
  
• Plan your travel: 

• Fans in India should plan logistic coordination for Indore, Guwahati, Vizag, and Bengaluru. 

• Pakistan fans looking to support during group stages must queue in Colombo. Know that semi‑finals or the final could turn international depending on Pakistan’s standing. 

• Grab tickets early: 
  With the ICC announcing priority access, especially at key venues, tickets are expected to sell quickly  

• Follow warm-ups: 
  Starting 24 September, warm-up matches are a prime chance to scout rising stars and gauge team strategies.  

Final Thoughts 

This is no longer a simple cricket tournament; rather, it’s a game that infuses tactics, skills, diplomacy, and gender equality. With unending action-packed matches from India, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, fans will get an unforgettable experience.  

But now, these fans can enjoy the series beyond passive watchers; they can participate in various matches by drafting fantasy cricket teams. They play best fantasy cricket game online in India and win prizes based on the actual performances of their selected players.  

When the stadiums will roar, your fantasy league can roar louder. It’s time to stay engaged and entertained throughout the tournament with platforms like MyChamp11. Here, you can not only select players for your fantasy team but also compete with peers, explore your cricket knowledge, and turn every possibility into a winning opportunity. Just draft carefully your team after analyzing emerging talents, pitch conditions, injury status, past performances, and weather reports.  

With its promising interface, easy-to-navigate features, lots of competition, and huge earning opportunities, this platform is truly the best fantasy sports app in India. 

 The World Cup just got a lot more interactive with MyChamp11.