Women World Cup Begin- In the run-up to the tournament opener in Guwahati, the difference between the two sides’ build-ups was nuanced but telling.
India’s practice session oozed confidence and rhythm. Bowling coach Avishkar Salvi experimented with Sneh Rana’s offspin grip for a few moments before she showed it off with accuracy. Young seamer Kranti Goud came in hard, working on match-tailored situations. The ambiance was relaxed yet concentrated — the image of a settled, confident outfit.
Sri Lanka, a little earlier in the day, performed their drills in a more subdued, calculated fashion. They started with catch practice before proceeding into nets. However, their camp was not without humor. Left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera teased young seamer Malki Madara about getting Hasini Perera lbw, while Sugandika Kumari joked with fellow offspinner Dewmi Vihanga about the minutiae of spin grip.
Various rhythms, but one great commonalities: both teams came ready, unified, and with a clear-cut understanding of what their roles were. As opposed to the interrupted build-up for the 2022 Women’s World Cup, when Covid times schedules found teams wanting in terms of practice time, this installment starts with teams that have rich ODI knowledge. Sri Lanka, who didn’t make the cut previously and had been out of ODIs for three years, now come with 31 games under their belt since. India, the busiest of all, have stacked up 38 matches — 14 of them in 2025 alone.
“We’ve played a lot more ODI cricket after the last T20 World Cup,” India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said. “We’ve won most of those games, and that has given us confidence. This group has played together for years. There’s more experience, more clarity.”
That is clear — in body language, in nets routines, in the stride of batters and the finish of bowlers. This World Cup starts not with sides still working towards rhythm, but with momentum already established.
Spotlight: Jemimah Rodrigues & Udeshika Prabodhani
For India, attention will be focused on Jemimah Rodrigues. She might already have 51 ODIs under her belt, but this will be her debut 50-over World Cup appearance. Naturally a top-order batter, she has adjusted seamlessly to a middle-order role. After scoring her maiden ODI century earlier this year, Rodrigues showcased finishing ability in the Sri Lanka tri-series and the England tour. With Guwahati’s ACA Stadium expected to produce a flat pitch, Rodrigues will look to make her World Cup debut memorable.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be banking heavily upon experienced left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani with the new ball. Her capacity to swing and contain the ball during powerplays may prove challenging for India’s right-hand opener Pratika Rawal. Prabodhani may not have appeared in ODIs since August 2024, but her warm-up statistics of 2 for 26 in six overs including two maidens indicate she’s all set.
Team News
India’s whole team is in shape, and Harmanpreet had assured Amanjot Kaur would join the XI again after her back issue. That would most probably be just one place between Radha Yadav and Sneh Rana. Amanjot played light practice spells with the ball and also produced a strong net batting session.
India (probable XI):
Smriti Mandhana, 2. Pratika Rawal, 3. Harleen Deol, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5. Jemimah Rodrigues, 6. Richa Ghosh (wk), 7. Deepti Sharma, 8. Amanjot Kaur/Radha Yadav, 9. Sneh Rana, 10. Kranti Goud, 11. Renuka Singh
Sri Lanka are also set to start with Hasini Perera and skipper Chamari Athapaththu, while Vishmi Gunaratne will move down to No. 4. Since Prabodhani returns to the XI, only Achini Kulasuriya or Malki Madara is likely to make it in.
Sri Lanka (probable XI):
Hasini Perera, 2. Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3. Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4. Vishmi Gunaratne, 5. Kavisha Dilhari, 6. Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 7. Nilakshika Silva, 8. Sugandika Kumari, 9. Inoka Ranaweera, 10. Malki Madara/Achini Kulasuriya, 11. Udeshika Prabodhani
Pitch and Conditions
Following a short cold snap, Guwahati warmed up once more on the eve of the match. Temperatures will be around 30°C, with additional humidity in the afternoon sun. The centre pitch, which is short of grass, offers real bounce and runs aplenty.
Stats and Trivia
The ACA Stadium will be the 55th Indian venue to stage a women’s ODI.
Kavisha Dilhari’s 26 wickets are the most by a Sri Lankan bowler in ODIs since the 2022 World Cup. For India, Deepti Sharma (59), Renuka Singh (35), and Sneh Rana (27) have surpassed that tally.
For the first time since 2016, Chamari Athapaththu is not Sri Lanka’s top ODI run-scorer in a calendar year. That honour belongs to Harshitha Samarawickrama (336 runs).
Smriti Mandhana’s 2100 runs are the highest by any batswoman across the world since the previous ODI World Cup, behind South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt (1736).
India have lost just three ODIs to Sri Lanka in history — one of them this year.
They Said
Harmanpreet Kaur, India captain:
“It’s a new ground, but Indian grounds feel familiar and pitches. We look at it as an opportunity.”
Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka captain:
“Udeshika [Prabodhani] is our strike bowler and senior-most player. I seek advice from her quite often. It’s a great privilege playing with her.”
