Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 begins with India chasing a dream that has remained unfulfilled for decades — winning their maiden World Cup. Playing on home soil for the first time in 12 years, expectations are sky-high, but captain Harmanpreet Kaur insists the team is ready to embrace the challenge.
“The World Cup is happening at home after 12 years but there is no pressure at all. We are looking really well prepared,” said Kaur on the eve of the opener against Sri Lanka in Guwahati. “In the practice games we ticked all the boxes, and we’re very excited about the opportunity to play at home.”
India’s campaign kicks off against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, followed by a marquee clash with Pakistan in Colombo. The road then gets tougher with encounters against South Africa and Australia in Visakhapatnam, perennial hurdles in India’s journey at global events. The team will also face England in Indore, before wrapping up the group stage with New Zealand and Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai.
No team will feel the weight of expectations like India. The passionate home crowd could be both a source of inspiration and a test of nerves. But this time, India look better prepared to turn pressure into momentum.
Failures in recent tournaments — early exits in the 2023 and 2024 T20 World Cups and a shock loss in the 2024 Asia Cup final — have sharpened their focus. “We played more ODI cricket after the last T20 World Cup, and winning most of those games has given us confidence,” Kaur said. “The clarity in team roles is much better now, whether in batting or bowling. That’s the biggest strength of this group.”
The squad indeed looks stronger than ever. Smriti Mandhana’s blistering century against Australia, Kaur’s own ton versus England, and rising stars like Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol making headlines with centuries, highlight India’s batting depth. On the bowling front, Arundhati Reddy’s 4/25 in Perth and Kranti Gaud’s six-wicket haul against England stand as proof of India’s growing arsenal.
For Harmanpreet Kaur, who turns 36 this year, the tournament holds personal significance. “I’ve captained in T20 World Cups, but this is my first chance leading India in an ODI World Cup. It was always my dream to do so. Now that I have the opportunity, I hope me and my team can give our best to win it,” she said.
From Guwahati’s festive streets to the coastal breeze of Visakhapatnam, the journey ahead is long and testing. But the chance to lift their first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup, at home, in front of their own fans, could make this campaign India’s most defining chapter yet.
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