India to open Women's World Cup against Sri Lanka in Guwahati

India will open the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup against cohost Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30, kicking off an eight-team tournament that will run through November 2 across venues in India and Sri Lanka. The match will be preceded by an opening ceremony in Guwahati, and organizers say this edition will be the last played with eight teams before the event expands to 10 teams and a larger schedule from 2029.

Defending champions Australia, who won a seventh title in 2022 and topped the ICC Women's Championship standings, are among the teams taking part. England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka qualified automatically alongside hosts India as the top six in the championship. Pakistan and Bangladesh secured the final two slots by finishing first and second at the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier earlier this year.

Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said the tournament offers a chance for India to end a long wait for a World Cup crown. "The Women in Blue will aim to end a long drought this time," he told reporters at the BCCI headquarters, adding that holding the opening match in Guwahati and staging games across India and Sri...