The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is poised to be a historic event with several groundbreaking features that could redefine the landscape of women's cricket forever. Scheduled from September 30 to November 2, the 13th edition of the tournament promises record-breaking prize money, an all-women match officials panel, and the rise of competitive teams.
One of the most significant highlights of the 2025 World Cup is the unprecedented $13.88 million prize pool. This marks a monumental 297% increase from the $3.5 million awarded at the 2022 edition in New Zealand. The winner of the tournament will receive $4.48 million, surpassing the $4 million awarded to the men's champions in the 2023 World Cup. This landmark decision underscores the ICC's commitment to gender equity in cricket and sets a new benchmark for women's sports. The runners-up will receive $2.24 million, while the losing semi-finalists will each take home $1.12 million. Each group stage participant is guaranteed $250,000, and each group-stage win will earn the victors $34,314. Teams finishing fifth and sixth will receive $700,000 each, while those in seventh and eighth place will earn $280,000.
In another historic first, the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 will feature an all-female panel of match officials. This includes 14 umpires and four match referees from 10 different nationalities. While all-female panels have officiated at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the last two ICC Women's T20 World Cups, this is the first time such a panel will oversee matches at a Women's Cricket World Cup. The match referee panel includes Trudy Anderson, Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi, and Michelle Pereira. The umpiring panel includes Claire Polosak, Jacquline Williams, and Sue Redfern, who will be officiating at their third Women's World Cup. Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton will be at their second World Cup, having officiated in the 2022 final. ICC Chairman Jay Shah believes the all-female panel will pave the way for more success stories in women's cricket.
The 2025 World Cup is expected to be highly competitive, with several teams vying for the title. Australia, the defending champions and seven-time winners, are the favorites, but captain Alyssa Healy anticipates tough competition. India, who have been runners-up twice, will be aiming for their first title on home soil. England, the 2017 champions and 2022 runners-up, are also strong contenders, led by captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. Other teams to watch include New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt believes that the World Cup in India could be a "game-changer" for women's cricket. She emphasized the potential impact of a passionate Indian fan base and a close, high-stakes match involving India.
Several rising stars are expected to make their mark at the 2025 World Cup. These include India's Kranti Goud, New Zealand's Georgia Plimmer, England's Lauren Bell, and South Africa's Annerie Dercksen. Other promising players to watch include Bangladesh's Nishita Akter Nishi, Pakistan's Eyman Fatima, and Sri Lanka's Dewmi Vihanga.
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 promises to be a game-changing event for women's cricket, with record prize money, an all-women match officials panel, and the rise of competitive teams. The tournament, hosted in India and Sri Lanka, is set to captivate audiences worldwide and further boost the growth and visibility of women's cricket.
