Visakhapatnam, Sep 7 (IANS) The arrival of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup trophy in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, as part of its official tour, was marked as a historic occasion by top Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) officials, who celebrated the city’s selection as a host venue for the tournament.

The trophy was unveiled at the venue by ACA officials, with Secretary Sana Sathish Babu and Joint Secretary Boyalla Vijay Kumar posing with it alongside women cricketers from the state.

During a press conference held at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, ACA President Kesineni Sivanath expressed pride in the region’s contribution to Indian cricket and the significance of the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup.

“The ACA has always taken pride in nurturing talent and contributing to the growth of Indian cricket, with several women cricketers from Andhra going on to represent the country with distinction.”

“We’re going to witness history with the first Women’s World Cup matches to be played here. The intensity of this is already rising with the Trophy Tour, and with the participation of our women’s T20 players, this is set to inspire our incredible talents to dream a bigger global stage, from here,” he said.

Babu echoed a similar sentiment, highlighting the association’s commitment to delivering a memorable event. “As we prepare for the upcoming matches, our focus is on delivering a vibrant and unforgettable cricketing experience for players, fans and spectators alike. I extend my best wishes to all the women’s teams for a successful and inspiring tournament and I hope that it leaves millions inspired,” he said.

Visakhapatnam will host two league stage matches of India in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup – against South Africa and defending champions Australia on October 9 and 12 respectively. It will also host Bangladesh-South Africa, Australia-Bangladesh and England-New Zealand clashes on October 13, 16 and 26 respectively.

Last week, the Indian team concluded a week-long preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam. Apart from skill-based training and huge emphasis on fitness, the players went through various match-stimulation training in the build-up to the marquee event.

India have never won the Women’s ODI World Cup, with their best result being runners-up in 2005 and 2017 editions of the competition. The R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Holkar Stadium in Indore and DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will also host matches in the eight-team tournament set to run from September 30 to November 2.

Before opening their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on September 30 in Guwahati, India will regroup to play a three-match ODI series against Australia this month.

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh will host the first two ODIs on September 14 and 17, before the final game takes place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 20.

–IANS

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