The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the venues for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, which will be hosted across five cities from September 30 to November 2. Four venues are located in India—Bengaluru, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Indore—while Colombo, Sri Lanka, will host matches involving the Pakistan women’s cricket team under a hybrid hosting model.
This decision follows diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, which have influenced multiple recent ICC events. As a result, all of Pakistan’s group stage matches will be held exclusively in Colombo. If Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals, the first semi-final will also be shifted to Colombo. The final, scheduled for November 2, may be played either in Bengaluru or Colombo, depending on the qualification of India or Pakistan.
The hybrid model ensures that both India and Pakistan can participate without traveling to each other’s countries. This arrangement was also used during the 2023 Asia Cup and will be implemented in the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India is expected to play its matches in the UAE despite Pakistan being the official host.
The eight qualified teams for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup are India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Pakistan and Bangladesh secured qualification through a recent tournament held in Lahore.
While the complete match schedule is yet to be released, the ICC’s hybrid venue strategy is a significant step toward balancing political realities with the goal of maintaining inclusive international competitions. Pakistan’s women’s team will treat Colombo as their home base, focusing on performance in what is expected to be a major highlight in women’s cricket.
