Reports: BCCI to bid for the 2025 Women's 50-over World Cup hosting rights

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to bid for the 2025 Women’s 50-over World Cup hosting rights. The same reports also suggest that India are likely to win the bid and will be hosting the mega ICC event in 2025. India last hosted the Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2013 and T20 World Cup in 2016.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is hosting its annual conference meeting in Birmingham. And they are likely to accept the bids for hosting the Women’s mega tournaments for the next cycle. Apart from the 2025 50-over World Cup, ICC will be accepting bids for hosting the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cup editions as well.

“Bids are being accepted for four women’s events. The prominent amongst them are the 2024 and 2026 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2025 edition of the ODI World Cup,” an ICC board member according to NDTV.

The decision to bid for the 2025 World Cup seems logical: ICC board member on BCCI

The Indian Women‘s side finished fifth in the last edition of the World Cup and seventh in the 2013 edition which was hosted in India. The current form of the India Women’s team is not up to the expectation level despite the BCCI’s recent effort to promote the game. Women’s cricket growth in India is clearly high on the agenda for the BCCI and the board is planning to start a marquee league, Women’s IPL, in the near future. Women’s IPL will be a big tournament in form of player development and media exposure for Women’s cricket in India.

“Since BCCI is bullish about starting the Women’s IPL from next season, I think they wouldn’t like to hold any other marquee T20 women’s event right away. Hence the decision to bid for the 2025 World Cup seems logical,” an ICC board member added. Apart from the host, the top-five teams in ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) 2022-2025 rankings will get direct entry into the mega tournament. The remaining two slots will be filled by the qualifiers round among six teams.