Women’s World Cup Opens in Guwahati

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 opened Sept. 30 in Guwahati at Barsapara/ACA Stadium with hosts India facing Sri Lanka, kicking off the 28‑match round‑robin as the tournament returns to India after 12 years; the launch featured cultural performances, a Google doodle and a moving tribute to late local star Zubeen Garg. The opener set a record group‑stage attendance of 22,843 for any ICC women’s event. India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur and buoyed by Smriti Mandhana’s form and recent wins over England, remain strong but still face questions about bowling depth and fielding despite the return of pacer Renuka Singh from injury. Sri Lanka, captained by Chamari Athapaththu and featuring Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne, are realistic underdogs with a thinner bowling attack. Seven‑time champions Australia arrive as tournament favourites and open their campaign against New Zealand in Indore, while New Zealand — led by Sophie Devine and bolstered by emerging talents after their 2024 T20 World Cup win — remain dangerous. The event carries a record USD 13.88 million prize pool, will stage some matches and potential knockout fixtures in Colombo, and continues a competition that began in 1973.