ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, all you need to know:Record ₹ 39 crore prize money, India to host; Pakistan will play their matches in Colombo

The 13th edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup will kick off on September 30, with India facing Sri Lanka in the opening match at Guwahati, scheduled for 3:00 PM. India is the official host of the tournament, but Pakistan’s matches will be played entirely in Colombo, Sri Lanka, due to scheduling arrangements. A total of 31 matches will take place across the tournament, featuring 8 teams, and will run until November 2. The semifinals are set for October 29 and 30, while the grand final is scheduled at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 2. However, if Pakistan qualifies for the final, the venue will be shifted to Colombo. Which teams are participating?
Host India and Sri Lanka, along with Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa, qualified based on the World Championship cycle. Pakistan and Bangladesh secured their place in the World Cup, defeating Ireland, the West Indies and Thailand in the qualifiers. For the first time since 2000, the West Indies team could not qualify for the Women’s ODI World Cup. In the qualifier stage, Bangladesh edged out the West Indies due to a better run rate of 0.013. Also read: PM Modi hails ‘Operation Sindoor on field’, Mohsin Naqvi responds: ACC Chairman accuses India of disrespecting ‘spirit of the game’ In which format is the tournament being played? The Women’s ODI World Cup will feature eight teams competing in a round-robin format, where each side will play seven matches, making a total of 28 games until October 26. The top four teams on the points table will move to the semifinals, with the first-ranked team facing the fourth and the second taking on the third. The winners of these semifinals will meet in the final on November 2. At which venues will the matches be played?
Matches will be held at four venues in India. Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam and Navi Mumbai have been given hosting rights. All of Pakistan’s matches will be played in Colombo, Sri Lanka. If Pakistan makes it to the title match, one semifinal and final will be played in Colombo itself. If Pakistan fails to enter the knockout round, the matches will be held in Navi Mumbai. Also read: Team India celebrated without the trophy, Suryakumar copied Rohit’s celebration: Jasprit Bumrah gives Haris Rauf befitting reply, top moments of Asia Cup 2025 – Watch What is the prize money for the tournament? The ICC has announced a four-fold increase in prize money for the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, with a total of $13.88 million (approximately ₹122 crore) to be distributed among the participating teams. This marks a historic jump, as the prize pool now exceeds the Men’s World Cup by ₹39 crore. The winning team will take home ₹39.50 crore, compared to just ₹11.65 crore in the previous edition. The runners-up will receive close to ₹20 crore, while the semifinal losers will get nearly ₹10 crore each. Along with these rewards, every group-stage victory will earn a team ₹30.29 lakh. Teams finishing fifth and sixth in the standings will be awarded around ₹62 lakh each, while those finishing seventh and eighth will receive about ₹22 lakh each. This significant increase in prize money reflects ICC’s efforts to boost women’s cricket and bring more recognition and financial backing to the sport. Also read: BCCI to lodge protest against Mohsin Naqvi:PCB president runs away with India’s trophy; Suryakumar to donate his ₹28 Lakhs match fees When and where is the India-Pakistan match?
While there isn’t much rivalry between the India and Pakistan teams in women’s cricket, considering the poor political relations between the two countries, this match is going to be very pressure-packed. Both teams will clash in Colombo on October 5. They have played 11 ODIs so far, with India Women winning every time. Where can you watch the tournament?
In India, viewers can watch all matches live on the Star Network and the JioHotstar app. You can also view live match updates, moments, and records on the the Dainik Bhaskar app.