Everything You Need to Know About the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Warm‑up Matches

Tanya P

26 Sep 2025

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The cricketing world is buzzing as the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 gears up for its biggest pre‑tournament showdown. Over four days, from September 25 to 28, all eight qualified sides will hit the nets in Bengaluru, India, and Colombo, Sri Lanka. The warm‑up matches are more than just practice – they’re a chance for coaches to lock in line‑ups, for players to adjust to humid sub‑continental pitches, and for fans to catch a glimpse of form before the main event kicks off on September 30.

Schedule, Format and Venues

Each of the nine games will start at 3:00 pm Indian Standard Time, giving teams the advantage of daylight and a clear view of how the ball behaves under the blazing afternoon sun. All fixtures are day‑night affairs, meaning the lights will come on for the final overs, mirroring the conditions teams will face in the main tournament.

  • Dates: September 25‑28, 2025
  • Number of matches: 9
  • Kick‑off time: 15:00 IST
  • Venues in India: BCCI Centre of Excellence (Ground 1 & Ground 2) and M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
  • Venues in Sri Lanka: Colombo Cricket Club and R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Both the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and the R. Premadasa Stadium will also host matches during the main World Cup, so the warm‑up games double as a test of the ground staff’s readiness. The BCCI Centre of Excellence, a state‑of‑the‑art complex, offers two playing surfaces, allowing simultaneous fixtures and flexible scheduling.

Teams, Match‑ups and What to Watch

Teams, Match‑ups and What to Watch

The eight teams that earned their spots are a blend of seasoned powerhouses and hungry newcomers:

  • Host nation – India (automatic qualifier)
  • Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka (ICC Women’s Championship qualifiers)
  • Bangladesh and Pakistan (World Cup Qualifier winners)

Here’s how the fixtures line up:

  • September 25: India vs England (BCCI Centre of Excellence 1), South Africa vs New Zealand (M. Chinnaswamy), Sri Lanka vs Pakistan (Colombo Cricket Club), Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka ‘A’ (R. Premadasa)
  • September 27: Australia vs England (BCCI Centre of Excellence 1), India vs New Zealand (M. Chinnaswamy), Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (Colombo Cricket Club)
  • September 28: South Africa vs India ‘A’ (BCCI Centre of Excellence 1), Pakistan vs Sri Lanka ‘A’ (Colombo Cricket Club)

The opener between India and England is already a headline grabber. England smashed a 152‑run victory over India in a prior warm‑up, posting 339/9 before bowling India out for 187. That result puts the hosts under pressure to fine‑tune their batting order and adapt to the pitch slower‑than‑expected bounce.

Defending champions Australia will meet England on September 27 – a clash that could serve as a barometer for the title defence. Both sides have shown aggressive top‑order play in recent bilateral series, so expect a high‑scoring affair with plenty of sixes.

Sub‑continental rivalries add extra spice. Sri Lanka and Pakistan will meet on opening day, a game that historically swings on the spin department. The warm‑up format allows both teams to experiment with new spin combinations, which could prove decisive in the main tournament’s spin‑friendly pitches.

New Zealand, South Africa and Bangladesh have quieter fixtures but are not to be written off. New Zealand’s seam attack has been on a roll in the Southern Hemisphere, while South Africa’s all‑rounders thrive on aggressive field placements. Bangladesh, fresh from a qualifier win, will be eager to prove they belong among the elite.

Beyond the on‑field action, these matches are a showcase for the growing popularity of women’s cricket in the region. Ticket sales for the warm‑up games have already topped expectations, and social media chatter shows a surge in youth following the sport. The sub‑continent’s massive fan base offers a perfect backdrop for the sport’s next growth phase.

Logistically, the warm‑up period is also a rehearsal for broadcast crews, security teams and volunteers. With the main World Cup set to span five venues – Bengaluru, Colombo, Guwahati (ACA Stadium), Indore (Holkar Stadium) and Visakhapatnam (ACA‑VDCA Stadium) – this short window lets organizers fine‑tune crowd flow, lighting rigs and live‑streaming infrastructure.

Overall, the warm‑up matches serve a dual purpose: they give each squad a realistic feel for playing conditions and they whet the appetite of millions of fans eager for world‑class cricket. As the countdown to September 30 ticks down, the performances in Bengaluru and Colombo will shape the narrative for what promises to be a historic tournament back on the sub‑continental stage.