Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) With the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup now just 50 days away, ICC chairman Jay Shah said the upcoming showpiece event is coming at a defining moment for women’s cricket and serves as a great chance to grow the sport further.

At an event in Mumbai on Monday, former skipper Mithali Raj and ex-India allrounder Yuvraj Singh were part of star-studded panels to talk about the upcoming competition alongside India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, batter Jemimah Rodrigues and ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta.

“The return of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 to India comes at a defining moment for the women’s game, setting the stage for a truly world-class tournament that will further elevate the sport’s global stature.

“At the ICC, we remain open to new ideas and are constantly exploring ways to sustain the upward momentum of women’s cricket. Conversations like today’s panel discussion are invaluable in shaping our collective vision and driving progress.

“With just 50 days to go until the start of the tournament, preparations are well underway, and excitement is building. I extend my best wishes to all participating teams as they gear up for the challenge. I am confident they will have an unforgettable experience in India and Sri Lanka,” said Shah in an ICC statement.

The tournament, set to happen from September 30 to November 2, will be contested in a round-robin format among eight teams – Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

This will also be the first women’s global cricket event in the sub-continent since India hosted the 2016 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. India has also staged the Women’s ODI World Cup in 1978, 1997 and 2013, respectively.

ICC also said a Trophy Tour visiting all host cities as well as New Delhi and Mumbai, will also kickstart from Monday. As per this, the trophy will stop at iconic landmarks, giving fans a chance to follow its journey via a dedicated Instagram channel.

As part of a wider school legacy programme, the trophy tour will also stop at several schools in each host city. ICC added that they and the BCCI are working with stakeholders to give select schools the opportunity to attend ODI World Cup matches.

–IANS

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