By Trisha Ghosal
The countdown is on. 45 days from now, the Women’s ODI World Cup is scheduled to begin in India. 10 New Zealand players are already in Chennai acclimatising. Australia will arrive soon for a bilateral series. The Indian team has completed a 10-day camp at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence and will assemble again in Vizag later this month. Preparations on the field are in full swing.
And yet, the most basic detail remains unresolved: where will the final be played?
The Missing Venue
The plan was for Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to host both India’s opening match and the final. But a tug of war between the political class and other stakeholders in the city has held up the necessary clearances. The result is uncertainty. Not anyone’s doing directly, but the optics are disastrous: the world’s most passionate cricket nation still doesn’t have a confirmed venue for the sport’s biggest women’s tournament.
The Fan’s Dilemma
As a journalist, I receive five to ten messages every day from fans: Where are the matches? How can we book tickets? Can you help us plan travel? Right now, no one has answers. Many fans save up for months to follow their team, booking travel and accommodation early. Last-minute venue changes mean thousands will be priced out. Families who might have travelled to cheer for India may be forced to stay home. When we later complain of “empty stadiums,” these lost opportunities must be part of the story.
The Media’s Challenge
It isn’t just fans. Media houses are also waiting. Covering a World Cup requires logistics, budgets and manpower. If venues shift late, not every outlet can afford the scramble. Coverage suffers, visibility shrinks, and women’s cricket once again pays the price. This is not just an operational hiccup, it’s about how the sport is projected to the world.
Optics Matter
When India hosted the men’s World Cup in 2023, venues were fixed and announcements were in place months in advance. Contrast that with what I saw in England this summer: While covering the Test series, I found banners already promoting ticket sales for the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026. Advance booking was open. Fans had clarity, the event had stature, and the messaging was strong, women’s cricket was front and centre.
In India, the hesitation tells another story. The optics suggest women’s cricket is an afterthought, a product to be slotted in once the dust settles. That undermines the players, who are doing everything asked of them, training, touring, winning hearts. It also undermines the fans, who have shown repeatedly they will turn up if given respect and clarity.
More Than Logistics
This isn’t about pointing fingers. But as days slip by, the risk is that the tournament gets remembered not for the cricket but for the chaos. That would be unfair to the players and unfair to the sport.
India is central to the global cricket map. Every move here sets the tone for how the game is seen worldwide. A World Cup without a confirmed venue, with fans left stranded, is not an image India can afford.
Time Is Running Out
Forty-five days is not much. The players are ready, the world is watching, and the clock is ticking. The stage must be cleared, before the spotlight fades.
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