All you need to know ahead of the 13th, history-making edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, which is live in full on Sky Sports this autumn.
When is it?
The 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup runs from Tuesday September 30 to Sunday November 2 in India and Sri Lanka.
The two co-hosts meet in the opening match in Guwahati, while the final will take place in either Navi Mumbai or Colombo.
Every game will be shown live on Sky Sports, including England’s first fixture against South Africa in Guwahati on Friday October 3 (10.30am first ball).
England begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa on October 3
Where are games being held?
Four Indian venues (Guwahati, Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Indore) plus one in Sri Lanka (Colombo) will stage matches.
When Pakistan qualified it was confirmed their matches would be held outside of India due to political tensions between the nations.
If Pakistan reach the semi-finals they will play in the first last-four fixture on Wednesday October 29 with that game held in Colombo instead of Guwahati.
If they make the final, Colombo will also stage that fixture as opposed to Navi Mumbai.
India will be looking to win their first World Cup title
Which eight teams are playing?
India qualified as official hosts, while Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka secured their spots after finishing in the top six of the 2022-2025 ICC Women’s Championship. Pakistan and Bangladesh came through a qualifying event that also featured West Indies, Scotland, Ireland and Thailand.
How does the competition work?
The eight sides play each other once each in the league stage with the top four advancing to the semi-finals.
First in the table will then play fourth with second taking on third. The winners will move on to the final on Sunday November 2.
Every game from the World Cup will be shown live on Sky Sports from September 30
How much will the champions earn?
The winners will scoop £3.3m, exceeding the £2.96m Australia picked up for winning the men’s World Cup in 2023.
That figure of £3.3m is up £980,000 from the fee Australia earnt from victory in the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand.
The total Women’s World Cup prize pot this year is £10.26m, up from the £2.59m three years ago in the last edition.
Who are the match officials?
In a Women’s Cricket World Cup first, the entire panel of match officials will be female – 14 umpires, including England’s Sue Redfern, and four match referees.
England’s Sue Redfern is among an all-female match officials panel for the World Cup
Who has won the previous World Cups?
- 1973 – England
- 1978 – Australia
- 1982 – Australia
- 1988 – Australia
- 1993 – England
- 1997 – Australia
- 2000 – New Zealand
- 2005 – Australia
- 2009 – England
- 2013 – Australia
- 2017 – England
- 2022 – Australia
