In Guwahati on Tuesday, September 30, the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 got off to a historic start. A new opening day attendance record for any Women's Cricket World Cup was achieved with the India vs. Sri Lanka match.
At the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, the match attracted 22,843 spectators, the highest number ever recorded for a Women's World Cup group stage. Indian supporters flocked to see the women's squad launch their campaign as well as to hear musicians Papon and Shreya Ghoshal pay homage to Zubeen Garg. Zubeen was an Assamese who died lately in a scuba diving accident.The Indian women's team got off to a great start in the competition by winning their opening match by 59 runs. India retaliated with the ball in the second half of the game following a little collapse with the bat. India defeated their Asian rival thanks in large part to the batsmanship of Amanjot Kaur.
A musical homage to the late Zubeen Garg, the singing legend of Assam, was part of the pregame opening ceremony. In front of an emotional home audience, acclaimed musicians Papon, Joi Barua, and the esteemed Shillong Chamber Choir honored his memory by performing his most well-known pieces.
The national anthems of Sri Lanka and India were performed by Nuwandhika Kumari and Shreya Ghoshal, respectively. Ghoshal made a comeback to the stage during the mid innings break to play a medley of her popular songs in addition to the official tournament hymn.
The BCCI also used the occasion to honor 16 former Indian women cricket players, including former captains Shanta Rangaswamy, Pramila Bhatt, Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra, and Mithali Raj, as well as ICC Hall of Famers Diana Edulji and Neetu David.
The 31 game competition will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Guwahati, Indore, Vishakhapatnam, and Mumbai, India.
