Excitement builds as ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy reaches Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM

Ahead of much anticipated ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, scheduled to begin this month end, the trophy reached Visakhapatnam on Sunday as part of the official trophy tour. The scenic Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium, one of the host venues, unveiled the trophy in the presence of officials from the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) and women cricketers.

Among those present were Andhra’s own women cricketers who have represented India — V. Sneha Deepthi, S. Meghana, B. Anusha, and Md. Shabnam (India U19, Senior T20 squad). They were accompanied by around 60 players currently participating in the ongoing Andhra Women’s T20 League. The cricketers, brought youthful energy to the event and also had the opportunity to participate in a photo-op with the trophy, seeing it up close for the first time, an inspiring moment that motivated them and filled them with pride.

Members of Andhra Cricket Association and women cricketers pose with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy during its tour at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
V. RAJU

Stating it as a historic moment for the region, ACA secretary Sana Satish Babu said the arrival of the trophy marks a significant milestone in Visakhapatnam’s cricketing journey. “It’s a matter of great pride that Andhra Pradesh is hosting five World Cup matches for the first time. The trophy tour has already begun to build excitement, and the involvement of our women’s T20 players is sure to inspire more young talent to dream of playing on the global stage,” he said.

He also confirmed that the ICC and BCCI have made all necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the matches in the coastal city. The ACA is working closely with both the bodies. He also announced that steps were being taken to ensure large-scale participation and attendance of women and girls.

It may be remembered that ACA-VDCA Stadium underwent a significant renovation earlier this year, with over ₹40 crore invested in infrastructure upgrades. This facelift not only earned it two IPL matches, but also praise from ICC Chairman of Jay Shah.

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will be held from September 30 to November 2, with matches taking place across five venues – Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam and Sri Lanka.

Visakhapatnam will host five matches of the tournament, which include two matches of Team India. India will play South Africa on October 9, followed by another match against Australia on October 12. The remaining three matches are South Africa vs Bangladesh on October 13, Australia vs Bangladesh on October 16 and England vs New Zealand on October 26.

In preparation for the tournament, Team India Women have recently held a series of practice sessions at the ACA-VDCA Stadium, fine-tuning their form ahead of the big event.