After two highly competitive warm-up series in which records tumbled and individuals shone, it’s full speed ahead to the opening game on September 30. Joint hosts India and Sri Lanka will get the tournament underway in Guwahati, kicking-off a 28-match round-robin stage. With each team set to play each other by the time the group stage is over, here’s what the table could look like by the time the semi-finals come around.
Teams have been ranked in descending order.
1. Australia
Is anyone surprised? Australia have been a dominant force in ODI cricket over the first half of the 2020s, and their record is unmatched. Since the last World Cup which they won in 2022, they’ve won 29 out of the 33 ODIs they’ve played, including a 13-match winning streak which lasted over 18 months. Since that 2022 tournament, they’ve bolstered their already stacked ranks with some explosive younger players like Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield, and their ridiculous batting depth and all-round options mean they can out-power oppositions on every front. Across a long tournament, it’s hard to see anyone coming out ahead of them.
2. India
If any side can exploit the small chinks in Australia’s armour, it will be India. They secured a rare win over them in the warm-up series between the two sides, and come off the back of a series win in England. They have the best players in the world at the minute, Smriti Mandhana in her pomp, and a batting lineup capable of both explosive power and digging in when it’s tough. Their bowling stocks have also benefited from the addition of Kranti Goud, while their spin attack remains lethal as ever, with Deepti Sharma leading from the front. India have never won a women’s ICC tournament, but they have the best chance they’ve ever had to correct that record on home soil.
3. England
The 2017 champions come into this tournament in an odd space. While they could be genuine contenders to make the final, there’s also a feeling they may struggle to make the semis. After they crashed out of the T20 World Cup last year, capitulating to the West Indies, all eyes will be on how they react in high pressure games this time around. They’re also only a few months into a regime change, with a new captain and coach appointed following a disastrous 2024/25 winter. While initial results under Charlotte Edwards and Nat Sciver-Brunt were positive against West Indies this summer, they struggled when presented with tougher opposition. This tournament also presents likely a last chance for some of the senior names in the squad to make their mark in 50-over World Cup cricket before a younger generation filter in over the next few years.
4. South Africa
South Africa lost to England in the semi-finals in both the 2017 and 2022 editions. They kick-off their tournament against England this time around, in a game which could prove to be crucial for knock-out qualification, or securing a more desired semi-final opposition. South Africa have done what many teams have failed to do over the last decade – successfully bring in players to replace their outgoing golden generation. They’ve got one of the best ODI batters in the world in Laura Wolvaardt at the top of the order, while Tamzin Brits as her opening partner has been on an outstanding run over the last couple of months. There are also plenty of middle order options, with Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Annerie Dercksen, Sune Luus and Anneke Bosch all in the running to make the final XI. Consistency could be their pitfall, however. Having made good scores in the first two games of their warm-up series against Pakistan, they folded to 115 all-out in the third.
New Zealand
This will be the last hurrah for stalwart and captain Sophie Devine, with potentially a few more retirements to come in the months after. While the WhitFerns have a spin attack with potential on turning tracks – Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson were a formidable duo during the T20 World Cup last year – their pitfall will be their depth. The four least experienced players in their squad have eight caps between them, with left-arm spinner Flora Devonshire included despite being uncapped in ODIs. New Zealand also come into the tournament cold, having last played an ODI series in March and with only a couple of warm-up matches before they play their opener against Australia.
Sri Lanka
Led by captain-fantastic Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka’s tournament has the potential to either far exceed expectations, or capitulate into disappointment. They’ve beaten India and South Africa in ODIs this year, and there are signs that their over-reliance on Athapaththu is starting to lessen. In both the matches they won in the IND-SA-SL tri-series earlier this year, Athapaththu wasn’t their main contributor with bat or ball. Since the last World Cup, Harsitha Samarawickrama has almost matched Athapaththu for run-scoring, while they boast an all-bases-covered spin attack. Stringing results together to challenge for the top half of the table will be their pitfall.
Pakistan
Pakistan had a difficult job qualifying for the tournament, and had to go through the qualifier. They dominated that competition, and despite losing their warm-up bilateral series against South Africa, there were glimmers of hope after a difficult few years of results. Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin are both reliable sources of runs in the top three, while Nashra Sandhu took record figures in the final game against South Africa. While they will struggle to realistically challenge for the top half of the table, they could easily get the better of one or two of the top sides.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh feel a comfortable way behind the rest. They just edged out West Indies in the World Cup qualifier by 0.01 on net run rate. While they’ve had sporadic success against some of the top teams, and dominated Ireland in a bilateral series late last year, unless the pitches are low and slow, they may struggle to push teams close.
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