Countdown to ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Begins with Grand Event in Mumbai

The International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah on Monday ceremoniously celebrated the '50 Days To Go' event for the ICC Women's World Cup 2025, set to take place in India later this year. Shah presided over the inauguration, followed by engaging panel discussions featuring current and former cricket luminaries of India, alongside ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta.

The event drew stalwarts of Indian cricket, including legends Mithali Raj and Yuvraj Singh, as well as contemporary stars like skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Jemimah Rodrigues. The upcoming 50-over World Cup signifies the return of a senior ICC Women's tournament to the sub-continent, a first since India hosted the Women's T20 World Cup in 2016. Previous editions in India were held in 1978, 1997, and 2013.

Jay Shah expressed his enthusiasm in an X post, stating, "What a fantastic celebration of women's cricket today, marking 50 days to go until the @cricketworldcup. This promises to be the biggest women's cricket event ever, and it all begins on September 30. #CWC25." Additionally, the event marked the launch of the ICC Trophy Tour, expected to traverse all host cities, starting in Mumbai and extending to Delhi. The tour, in collaboration with a broader school legacy program, will also see the Trophy visit multiple schools in each host city, offering select students the chance to watch live matches. India aims to best their 2017 performance, where they narrowly missed the title against England in a gripping final. This year's tournament is scheduled from September 30 to November 2, with India set to face Sri Lanka in the opener in Bengaluru.

(With inputs from agencies.)