With anticipation building ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, the International Cricket Council has officially released the warm-up match schedule, giving fans a first glimpse of what to expect before the main tournament begins on September 30.
The warm-up fixtures will be played between September 25 and 28, with a total of nine day-night matches scheduled across two countries—India and Sri Lanka. Four venues will host these preparatory games: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru, and R. Premadasa Stadium and Colombo Cricket Club Ground in Colombo.
Each of the eight participating national teams is set to play two warm-up matches, except for Australia, which will feature in just one. In a unique addition, India A and Sri Lanka A sides have also been included in the fixtures to offer stronger match experience and better bench depth evaluation.
Full Warm-Up Schedule (All matches start at 3 PM IST)
25 September
- India vs England – Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru
- South Africa vs New Zealand – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- Sri Lanka vs Pakistan – Colombo Cricket Club Ground, Colombo
- Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka A – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
27 September
- India vs New Zealand – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- Australia vs England – Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru
- Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh – Colombo Cricket Club Ground, Colombo
28 September
- South Africa vs India A – Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru
- Pakistan vs Sri Lanka A – Colombo Cricket Club Ground, Colombo
These matches are expected to provide crucial practice opportunities for teams looking to finalize playing XIs, adjust to local conditions, and test combinations under match pressure. While the warm-up games won’t carry official ODI status, they are considered essential in setting the tone for the main event.
For the Indian team, the two matches against England and New Zealand will be important tests. Both sides are major contenders in this edition and have traditionally performed well on subcontinental pitches. The games will also give India’s bench strength a chance to shine ahead of their World Cup opener on September 30 in Bengaluru.
The ICC’s decision to host matches in both India and Sri Lanka reflects the collaborative hosting of this year’s tournament. The main tournament will be spread across five cities: Bengaluru, Indore, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo.
Among them, Indore’s Holkar Stadium is drawing special attention—it will host five key matches, including India vs England and the high-voltage clash between Australia and England. This marks the first time the iconic venue will be part of the ICC Women’s World Cup.
While Australia—the defending champions—have just one warm-up match scheduled against England, most other teams will take the opportunity to assess form and fitness across two games. Several international stars, including India’s Smriti Mandhana, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Australia’s Ellyse Perry, are expected to be in action during these practice fixtures.
According to sources close to the Indian women’s camp, the team is likely to use the England match to give senior players game time, while the second fixture could be an opportunity for emerging talents like Shreyanka Patil, Titas Sadhu, and others to prove their mettle.
The inclusion of India A and Sri Lanka A teams provides an added layer of competitive variety, allowing coaching staff from other nations to observe local talent and conditions up close.
As teams finalize their World Cup squads and gear up for the group stage, the warm-up matches will serve as the final preparation step. Coaches will closely monitor player form, combinations, and fielding performance, all of which can be decisive in high-stakes tournament play.
The ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 marks a return of the event to South Asia after over a decade, and these warm-up matches will be the first chapter in what promises to be a fiercely competitive and widely watched tournament.
