The ICC has confirmed the venues for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup scheduled to take place in India. Although the complete schedule is still being worked on, the event will run from September 30 to November 2 across five venues—four in India and one in Sri Lanka.
In a notable and politically sensitive move, all of Pakistan’s league-stage matches will take place in Colombo, as part of a hybrid hosting arrangement agreed upon between the BCCI and PCB.
India will host the majority of the tournament in Bengaluru, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Indore, with Colombo serving as a neutral venue due to ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan. The hybrid model was introduced after the PCB and BCCI insisted they would not send their teams to each other’s countries even for ICC events, as most recently evidenced by India choosing to play its 2025 Champions Trophy games in Dubai instead of Pakistan, the official host.
Though the full match schedule for the Women’s ODI World Cup is yet to be made public by the ICC, it is all but confirmed that Pakistan will be based in Colombo for the duration of the group stage. Should Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, the first semi-final will be shifted to Colombo to accommodate their presence, mirroring the approach taken during the Champions Trophy and the 2023 Asia Cup.
The same flexibility applies to the final on for the Women’s ODI World Cup November 2, which will be hosted in either Bengaluru or Colombo, depending on whether India or Pakistan qualify. It’s a logistical workaround aimed at ensuring both countries can participate without direct travel between them.
India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh make up the eight qualified teams for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. Pakistan and Bangladesh earned their spots through a competitive qualifying tournament in Lahore earlier this year.
While cricket fans will be focused on the battle between the world’s top women’s sides, the tournament’s structure has been undeniably shaped by geopolitics.
Nevertheless, the ICC’s hybrid model ensures participation without compromise, keeping the Women’s ODI World Cup inclusive while acknowledging political realities. For Pakistan’s women’s team, Colombo will serve as an adopted home ground, offering them the chance to focus solely on cricket in what promises to be a landmark global event.