India Women Begin World Cup Preparations with Conditioning Camp in Visakhapatnam
India Women will kick off their ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 preparations with a skill-focused conditioning camp in Visakhapatnam, starting August 25. The week-long camp aims to help players acclimatise to conditions at a venue where the team is scheduled to play two crucial group-stage matches — against South Africa on October 9 and Australia on October 12.
The decision to host the camp at the ACA-VDCA Stadium is a strategic one, considering the lack of match experience at the venue for most players in the squad. Only senior players Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Sneh Rana have previously played at the ground, with their last appearance dating back to 2014.
India’s unfamiliarity with several tournament venues — including Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, and Indore — has emerged as a major talking point in the lead-up to the World Cup. To address this, the team management is focused on giving players early exposure to these locations through training and practice matches.
In contrast, the inclusion of Navi Mumbai as a World Cup venue — replacing Bengaluru — has been received positively. The venue is a familiar one for many Indian players who have featured there extensively in international fixtures and in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), often in front of large crowds.
Initially, Bengaluru was scheduled to host the pre-World Cup training camp. However, logistical hurdles, including the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s inability to secure police clearance for matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, forced a change in plans.
The Visakhapatnam camp will see participation from all World Cup squad members, reserves, and players from the India A side who are slated to feature in warm-up matches. The camp will conclude with two intra-squad day-night practice games.
Following the camp, the team will travel to New Chandigarh for a three-match ODI series against Australia, starting September 16. The series will be a key preparatory step before the World Cup.
India will then return to Bengaluru for two official warm-up matches — against England on September 25 and New Zealand on September 27 — before heading to Guwahati for their tournament opener against Sri Lanka on September 30.
The upcoming World Cup presents a major opportunity for the Indian team, who will be looking to build on their recent form and make a strong push for the title on home soil.