Women’s ODI World Cup, IND vs SL LIVE: India starts as favourite against Sri Lanka

A star-studded Australian squad comes into this World Cup with a larger-than-life estimation and a competitory excavation with piranhas snapping astatine its heels. While the Aussies are a fewer tiers supra the remainder of the nations successful occurrence and depth, that spread is accelerated narrowing. The side’s unthinkable resources successful some departments and a sparkling grounds arsenic a fielding portion mean it enters the tourney arsenic a steadfast favourite.

There tin beryllium immoderate unit playing astatine home, particularly erstwhile starting retired arsenic 1 of the favourites. But Harmanpreet Kaur said the Indian squad was feeling excited, and not nether pressure, connected the eve of the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka.

“The World Cup is returning to India aft 12 years, but determination is nary unit astatine each for us,” the Indian skipper said. “We are feeling truly well, and successful the signifier matches we tried to tick each the boxes. We are excited that we are getting the accidental to play successful location conditions. As cricketers we cannot inquire for thing more.” 

The Women successful Blue person an fantabulous accidental to bash what the Men successful Blue could not bash 2 years ago: triumph a World Cup astatine home. The men had a cleanable run until they were undone successful the last by Australia and an Ahmedabad slow-turner. The women excessively should beryllium wary of the defending champion from Down Under.

For astir a decade, Jemimah Rodrigues’ beingness arsenic an Indian cricket prima has been marked by an absorbing duality – that of a classical batter shaped by Mumbai’s affluent bequest and a societal media darling strumming her guitar betwixt matches.

But amid the T20 World Cups, franchise contracts, and viral reels, 1 imagination remained unfulfilled. Jemimah has represented India successful 4 T20 World events, thrilling audiences with her silken screen drives and late-innings composure. Yet, the 50-over showpiece — inactive the astir coveted signifier successful the women’s game, conscionable similar for men cricketers — has ever eluded her. 

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As you determination astir the North-Eastern India’s largest metropolis these days, you would not miss Durga Puja. The temples, the streets each deterioration a festive look, and this solemnisation of the divine feminine goes precocious into the night.

The timing, though not rather intentional, is conscionable close for the women’s cricket World Cup. India is taking connected Sri Lanka astatine the Barsapara Cricket Stadium connected Tuesday (September 30, 2025). The opening lucifer was primitively scheduled to person been played astatine Bengaluru, but each the games allotted to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium had to beryllium moved retired pursuing the tragic stampede aft RCB’s solemnisation of its maiden IPL triumph.

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