Why BCCI has chosen smaller venues for ICC Women’s ODI World Cup? Here’s all you need to know
New Delhi: Smaller Indian cities were chosen to host the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup due to a rotational hosting policy. This policy also means that venues used in this year’s ODI World Cup will not all be used in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, according to a source within the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Five Indian cities—Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Mullanpur, Indore, and Thiruvananthapuram—are reportedly under consideration to host matches in the upcoming Women’s Cricket World Cup, beginning sometime in late September. The official schedule remains unreleased.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has faced criticism for its selection of less prominent locations to host the prestigious 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup. “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 revealed.
India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the men’s T20 World Cup next year, with venue selections forthcoming. Simultaneously, India will host the Women’s ODI World Cup and an ICC women’s tournament, marking the nation’s first time hosting these events since 2013 and 2016, respectively.
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab, will host the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup final. This new stadium is also the home ground for the Punjab Kings IPL team. Previous Women’s World Cup finals have been held at Lord’s, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Hagley Oval, Newlands, and the Dubai International Stadium.
To accommodate potential Pakistani participation in the Cricket World Cup, the BCCI selected Thiruvananthapuram as a venue. This is due to a pre-arranged hybrid model with the Pakistan Cricket Board, and Thiruvananthapuram’s unique possession of immigration and visa facilities, unlike other shortlisted locations. If Pakistan qualifies, their matches will be held in neighboring countries, and Thiruvananthapuram’s location will facilitate travel arrangements for opposing teams.
Pakistan will host the ICC Women’s Cricket Qualifiers 2025 from April 9th. The tournament includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ireland, West Indies, Thailand, and Scotland, with the top two teams qualifying for the World Cup.
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