India will host the ICC Women's ODI World Cup in 2025, as confirmed by the apex cricketing body on Tuesday. The announcement was made by the ICC Board on Tuesday in Birmingham, on the final day of the global cricket body's annual conference.
Apart from the ODI World Cup, ICC also announced the hosts for the T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026, with Bangladesh and England landing the rights to host the global spectacles, respectively.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, should they qualify for the tournament, will host the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy in 2027.
The ICC said that the hosts were finalized through a "competitive bidding process" and each bid was reviewed by the board sub-committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Clare Connor, Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Skerritt.
India will host the Women's ODI World Cup for the fifth time, in 2025, and its first global women's tournament since 2016 when the T20 World Cup ran parallel to the men's event. The 2025 edition is set to be similar to the 2022 edition, with eight teams taking part and playing a total of 31 matches.
Speaking of India as host for the 2025 grand event, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said it's a step in the right direction for the popularity of women's cricket.
"India hosted the 50-over women's World Cup in 2013 and the sport has undergone tremendous transformation since then. The popularity of women's cricket is rapidly rising, and this is a step in the right direction. The BCCI will work closely with the ICC and fulfil all the requirements," said Ganguly.
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that the board "will leave no stone unturned to make it a memorable event" and how they are expecting the ICC tournament to boost the popularity of the sport further.
"We are taking several steps to raise the profile of the sport right from the grassroots level and hosting the World Cup will further boost the popularity of the sport in the country. The BCCI remains committed to women's cricket in India. We have the infrastructure in place, and I am confident we will have a very successful edition of the World Cup," said Shah.
