India’s women’s cricket team is gearing up for a big start in the Women’s ODI World Cup. Senior all-rounder Deepti Sharma says kicking off strong against co-hosts Sri Lanka could set the perfect tone for their entire campaign.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side has never lifted the Women’s ODI World Cup trophy. Their closest calls came as runners-up in 2005 and 2017. Now, they’re chasing that first title when they face Sri Lanka in the opener at Guwahati’s ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
“The first match always matters a lot—it shapes how the tournament goes for us,” Deepti told JioStar. “We’ve played Sri Lanka recently, so we know their batters and bowlers well. We’re training with that in mind.”
India last beat Sri Lanka in an ODI during a tri-series win in Colombo earlier this year. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is keeping the team grounded amid the hype. “Expectations are high for this opener, but we need to stick to our game plan and ignore outside noise,” she said. “We’ve played solid cricket over the past year, so it’s time to trust our skills and back each other.”
This marks India’s return as hosts for the Women’s ODI World Cup, last done in 2013 when Australia took the title. The country also hosted in 1978 and 1997. In this eight-team event, semifinals are set for October 29 and 30, with the final on November 2.
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