By Zainab Shafiq 
With the countdown to cricket’s biggest women’s tournament underway, fans are already gearing up for the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Set between September 30 and November 2, the ODI showdown will take place in India across four key venues, including Bengaluru, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Indore. While Colombo, Sri Lanka, will serve as a neutral host city, most likely staging all of Pakistan’s matches for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 under the agreed hybrid model.
Colombo Gears Up to Host Pakistan Women’s ODI World Cup 2025
Due to ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan, the two cricket boards—BCCI and PCB—have agreed to adopt a hybrid hosting model, similar to arrangements made for the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India will play their fixtures in Dubai. Consequently, Pakistan is unlikely to play in India during this women’s ODI World Cup 2025, with all their group-stage games expected to unfold in Colombo.
This neutral arrangement, although politically sensitive, ensures Pakistan’s participation while maintaining diplomatic distance. It also means Colombo could play a major role in knockout scenarios, especially if Pakistan reaches the semi-finals or final. If that happens, Guwahati and Colombo are under consideration for the first semi-final, with the final set for either Bengaluru or Colombo on November 2.
India to Open in Bengaluru, West Indies Miss Out
Bengaluru, a city that consistently draws strong crowds, will host the tournament opener featuring India and later, the second semi-final. New Chandigarh, once a contender to host the final, was ruled out over concerns that India hasn’t played any international cricket there.
The tournament features eight direct qualifiers—India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Bangladesh and Pakistan secured the last two slots through the Lahore qualifiers, edging out the West Indies, who missed qualification on net run-rate.
In total, 31 matches will be played in a round-robin format, where each team faces all others once. The top four will advance to the knockout stage.
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