How does qualification work for the 2025 Women’s World Cup?

There will be eight teams at the World Cup. As hosts, India have qualified directly. Five slots will be filled by the top five teams in the 2022-2025 ICC Women’s Championship. The other two will come from the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

How does the ICC Women’s Championship work?

There are ten teams in all (including hosts India, who had qualified anyway). Every team plays eight three-match ODI series (four home, four away) – in other words, 24 ODIs. A win gets a team two points, a tie or a no-result one, and a defeat nothing.

As is evident, five teams (including India) have already booked their berths. Pakistan have finished outside the top six and Ireland are guaranteed to (even if they get all nine points). They are out of the race.

That brings us to New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, all of whom are eyeing one spot at the World Cup.

Matches remaining in the ICC Women’s Championship

India v West Indies: One ODI in Vadodara (December 27)
India v Ireland: Three ODIs Rajkot (January 10, 12, 15)
West Indies v Bangladesh: Three ODIs in January

What New Zealand, the West Indies, and Bangladesh need

New Zealand are done with their 24 games. They sit on 21 points, two clear of Bangladesh (who have three games left) and seven clear of the West Indies (four left).

The only way for New Zealand to qualify is if Bangladesh get no more than one point and the West Indies no more than seven. In other words, the West Indies have to lose their remaining match to India and beat Bangladesh 1-0 (West Indies 19, Bangladesh 21) or 2-0 (West Indies 21, Bangladesh 20). If these happen, New Zealand will qualify as long as they finish above the team on 21 points on net run rate.

A 2-1 or 2-0 or even 1-0 win against the West Indies, on the other hand, will guarantee Bangladesh a spot in the World Cup. If they lose 1-2, they will still qualify as long as the West Indies do not win the third ODI against India.

The West Indies, on the other hand, have to finish above both Bangladesh and New Zealand. Their best bet is to win three of their four ODIs and reach 23.

What happens to the teams that do not make it?

Exactly one of New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the West Indies will qualify for the World Cup. The other two will join Pakistan and Ireland (who are already out of the race) in the World Cup Qualifier, along with the next two teams from the ICC Women’s ODI rankings.

Two teams from these six will qualify for the World Cup.

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