Guwahati: With home advantage and current form on its side, the Indian women's cricket team will look to end a 47-year wait for its maiden ICC title when it takes the field at the ODI World Cup starting with a clash against Sri Lanka here on Tuesday.
Ranked world No.3, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will look to make the most of their familiarity with conditions in the 13th edition of the tournament, that is returning to India after 12 years.
The global showpiece will feature eight top ranked teams -- Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan -- competing in 28 league matches in a round-robin format across four venues in India and one in Colombo for a record prize money of $13.88 million.
The prize pool is also nearly four times higher than 2022 and surpasses the men's 2023 edition ($10 million) to be in line with the ICC's push for pay parity and growth of women's cricket. The Sri Lankan capital will host 11 round-robin matches, including Pakistan's seven league stage games and the marquee clash against India on October 5.
One semifinal and the final are also scheduled there, should Pakistan go all the way.
In-form India
On basis of their current form, India arrive with confidence, having recently beaten England in both ODI and T20I series. They also ended a worrying losing streak against Australia in a recent tournament build-up series. The Indians nearly chased down 413 in the final ODI in New Delhi against the team which is chasing a record-extending eighth title.
Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana remains the fulcrum of the batting unit, enjoying the form of her life at the top of order.
The left-hander has already struck four ODI centuries, including two back-to-back against Australia, this year. She averages 66.28 with a strike rate of 115.85. Her partnerships with young opener Pratika Rawal, who has provided solidity at the top, give India the cushion to post or chase big totals in the absence of an out of favour Shafali Varma.