Rotation policy has been cited as the main reason for the shortlisted ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 venues being smaller centers around India, The cities that host matches during the ODI World Cup this year won’t be alloted matches during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup that the country will co-host next year, a source in the Board of Control for Cricket in India told The Indian Express.
It is understood that the Indian board has shortlisted Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Mullanpur, Indore, and Thiruvananthapuram to host the Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to start from September last week. Official schedule has not been announced yet.
The BCCI has been receiving criticism for choosing relatively obscure venues to host a marquee ICC tournament like the Women’s World Cup 2025. “As the BCCI is going to host the 2026 World Cup, it was decided to give matches to all smaller cities so that they don’t get deprived of holding World Cup games. Those venues that will host Women’s World Cup games won’t be considered for the men’s T20 World Cup,” a source in the Indian board told The Indian Express.
The men’s T20 World Cup will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka next year for which as well the board will shortlist the venues soon. India are hosting the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time since 2013, and an ICC women’s time for the first time since 2016.
Meanwhile, Punjab Cricket Association’s new stadium – Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur – will be hosting the final of the 2025 Women’s World Cup. The stadium is the new home for the IPL franchise Punjab Kings. It is worth noting that some of the venues that have hosted the last few ICC women’s events finals are Lord’s (2017), Melbourne Cricket Ground (2020), Hagley Oval (2022), Newlands (2023), and Dubai International Stadium (2024).
Meanwhile, based on the hybrid model agreed upon between the Indian and Pakistan cricket boards before the recent Champions Trophy earlier this year, the BCCI picked Thiruvananthapuram as one of the venues. Reason being, if Pakistan qualifies for the World Cup, then its matches will be played in neighbouring countries in Sri Lanka or Dubai. None of the shortlisted venues has immigration or visa facilities available, apart from Thiruvananthapuram. Since Pakistan won’t be travelling to India for ICC events, the BCCI will plan for all teams contesting against them to fly from the southern coast of India.
The Pakistan women’s team will be taking part in the ICC Women’s Cricket Qualifiers 2025 to be played in Pakistan from April 9. It will feature the hosts, Bangladesh, Ireland, and West Indies, along with Associate Members Thailand and Scotland, from which two teams will get their ticket for the World Cup.