Indore to host five matches of ICC Women's World Cup
Indore: After a gap of 28 years, women's international cricket is set to make a historic return to Madhya Pradesh. Indore's Holkar Stadium will host five matches of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025.
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The city's Holkar Stadium has been officially selected as one of the venues for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 and will host five crucial matches of the tournament.
The World Cup, scheduled to take place from September 30 to November 2, will see Holkar Stadium hosting its first-ever women's international matches. The fixtures lined up for Indore include Australia vs New Zealand on October 1, New Zealand vs South Africa on October 6, India vs England on October 19, Australia vs England on October 22, and Australia vs South Africa on October 25.
"This is a proud and historic moment for MPCA and Indore. Women's international cricket is returning to Madhya Pradesh after 28 years, and Holkar Stadium is hosting five high-profile matches one after the other for the first time," Abhilash Khandekar, President of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, told TOI. "We were hopeful of this development, especially after ICC officials hinted at the possibility during the IPL final in Ahmedabad.
It will also act as a big boost for women's cricket in Madhya Pradesh and inspire young girls to take up the sport," he added.
Earlier, MPCA hosted only two women's international matches, including one during the 1997 Women's World Cup at Nehru Stadium in Indore. With the announcement of these five matches, Holkar Stadium is now making its debut as a World Cup venue, as it never hosted any match of a World Cup event until now.
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MPCA officials are optimistic about the preparations and promise a world-class experience for both players and fans. "Holkar Stadium is a top-tier venue suited for all formats of the game. We successfully hosted Tests, ODIs, and IPL matches, and are confident of hosting the Women's World Cup with equal efficiency. A detailed meeting will soon be held to finalise the preparations," added Khandekar.
This announcement also comes as a welcome boost for Indore, which was overlooked for the 2024 T20 World Cup and the last two IPL seasons.
The last international match held here was a T20 between India and Afghanistan on January 14, 2024. Prior to that, India played an ODI against Australia on September 24, 2023, in Indore. So far, India played six ODIs at Holkar Stadium and won all of them, defeating teams like England (twice), West Indies, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.
Further strengthening its calendar, Indore has also been announced as the host for the final ODI of the India-New Zealand white-ball series on January 18, 2026. The series will include three ODIs and five T20Is and is scheduled as part of the lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
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