The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the high-profile India-Pakistan fixture in the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be played at a neutral venue due to ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
The much-anticipated clash is scheduled for October 5, with the match set to begin at 3 PM IST. Despite India hosting the tournament, Pakistan will play all their group-stage matches at a neutral location, the ICC said on Monday.
It said that Pakistan’s match against arch-rival India will be staged at a neutral venue in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital.
India and Pakistan have faced each other 11 times in women’s One-Day Internationals (ODIs), with India maintaining a dominant record, having won all previous encounters.
Pakistan women will not travel to India for World Cup, ICC confirms
Their last World Cup meeting was in 2022 in New Zealand, where India secured a 107-run victory.
The tournament will officially begin on September 30, with India playing the opening match against Sri Lanka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Australia will kick off their campaign against New Zealand on October 1.
Pakistan’s group-stage schedule is as follows:
- vs Bangladesh – October 2
- vs India – October 5
- vs Australia – October 8
- vs England – October 15
- vs New Zealand – October 18
- vs South Africa – October 21
- vs Sri Lanka – October 24
The round-robin stage concludes on October 26. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals, with the first semi to be held either in Guwahati or at a neutral venue, and the second in Bengaluru on October 29 and 30.
The final is slated for November 2 and will be hosted either in Bengaluru or at the neutral venue, depending on final logistics.
The ICC’s decision to move Pakistan’s matches to a neutral site is seen as a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the smooth conduct of the tournament amid sensitive cross-border relations.
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