The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 is set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Pakistan will play all its matches in Colombo, Sri Lanka, due to the ongoing policy of hosting India and Pakistan matches at neutral venues in ICC events.

The decision to have Pakistan play its matches in Colombo stems from the political tensions between India and Pakistan, who have not engaged in bilateral cricket series since 2013. In December, the ICC announced that India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC events between 2024 and 2027 would be held at neutral venues. This agreement was implemented following India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the men's Champions Trophy earlier this year.

The Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 will feature eight teams competing in a round-robin format, with 28 league matches and three knockout matches, including the semi-finals and the final. Five venues have been selected for the tournament: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru), ACA Stadium (Guwahati), Holkar Stadium (Indore), ACA-VDCA Stadium (Visakhapatnam) in India, and R. Premadasa Stadium (Colombo) in Sri Lanka.

The tournament will commence with India playing the opening match in Bengaluru, marking the return of the Women's World Cup to India after 12 years. Australia, the defending champions, will also participate, along with England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

The venues for the knockout stages are subject to Pakistan's progress in the tournament. If Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals or the final, Colombo will host those matches. Otherwise, Bengaluru will host the final on November 2, and either Guwahati or Colombo will host the first semi-final on October 29, with the second semi-final in Bengaluru on October 30.

The "hybrid model," initially adopted for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, ensures that India and Pakistan will play at neutral venues for ICC events for the next three years. This arrangement also applies to the Men's T20 World Cup in 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and the Women's T20 World Cup in 2028, hosted by Pakistan.

While the arrangement addresses political considerations, there are potential logistical challenges. Colombo experiences wetter conditions in October, which could affect match schedules.

The neutral venue agreement was recently highlighted when the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL) were temporarily suspended due to regional clashes.

Despite these challenges, the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 promises to be a competitive and exciting tournament, showcasing the best of women's cricket on the global stage.