The biggest tournament in women’s cricket is here. The 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup kicks off with co-hosts India and Sri Lanka taking on each other, with Harmanpreet Kaur & Co coming in as big favourites in their backyard.
For the World Cup opener, here are our preview and predictions.
The Women in Blue are one of the two biggest tournament favourites — along with the usual suspects, Australia. India have not only the home advantage but also one of the most well-balanced squads on paper.
Smriti Mandhana is one of India’s key batters and will once again be one to look out for, especially since she’s coming off a record century against Australia. She has a new opening partner in Pratika Rawal, with Harleen Deol coming in at No. 3. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh make up a strong middle order, with the Indian line-up batting further deep with the likes of Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana, who can more than hold their own with the bat.
Given they’ll be playing on pitches where spinners will have a key role to play, India have Sharma, Rana, Radha Yadav, and Shree Charani to make up a strong slow-bowling unit. Renuka Singh and Arundhati Reddy round out a more-than-reliable bowling attack, ensuring India have all the bases covered.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will have the veteran all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu leading them, with the talented Harshitha Samarawickrama bringing in plenty of runs at the top of the order. The Lankan Lionesses have been trying Hasini Perera at the top of the order, with Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshi de Silva, and Dewmi Vihanga making up a batting line-up with a mix of experience and youth.
Vihanga has also become a key bowler for Athapaththu; in suitable conditions, the young off-break bowler will be crucial. Athapaththu, along with the experienced Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, and Malki Madara, rounds off an experienced bowling attack.
The Barsapara strip will bring about plenty of runs while having something for the slower bowlers. While Sri Lanka would be suited to these conditions, India boast too much firepower to not be considered the favourites here and to kick off proceedings with a win.
Fantasy XI: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Harmanpreet Kaur, Chamari Athapaththu, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Dewmi Vihanga
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Winners Prediction: India
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