The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 opener between India and Sri Lanka at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium set a new attendance record with 22,843 fans, surpassing the previous record of 15,935 set during the India-Pakistan ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Group A clash in 2024. The milestone match also saw India secure a 59-run victory over Sri Lanka, with Deepti Sharma becoming India’s second-highest wicket-taker in women’s ODI cricket.The record attendance marks another achievement for the tournament, which has already established new standards in fan accessibility and prize money for women’s cricket.Sachin Tendulkar, ICC Hall of Famer, praised the recent progress in women’s cricket, stating: “I must acknowledge the strides made in the past few years. The Women’s Premier League has been nothing short of a game-changer. It has provided the platform, visibility, and financial security that generations of women cricketers could only dream of. A great deal of credit must go to Jay Shah, who, during his tenure as BCCI secretary, advocated for equal match fees for men and women and laid the groundwork for the WPL.”Tendulkar further added: “These steps may appear administrative on paper, but in reality, they change lives. They tell every aspiring young girl that her passion is valued equally. I also want to thank the ICC for announcing record prize money for this tournament, even surpassing what was on offer for the men’s World Cup in 2023. Symbolically and practically, it sends a powerful message–that women’s cricket deserves not just applause, but equal respect.”In the match, India batted first and posted 269/8 on the scoreboard. The game was reduced to 47 overs per side due to rain interruption.Sri Lanka’s chase of 271 showed promise at times, but they were ultimately restricted to 211 in 45.4 overs. Deepti Sharma led the bowling attack with figures of 3/54, supported by Sneh Rana (2/32) and Shree Charani (2/37).Deepti Sharma’s performance took her career wicket tally to 143 in 113 matches at an average of 28.19, including two four-wicket hauls and three five-wicket hauls. Her best bowling figures stand at 6/20.Jhulan Goswami remains India’s leading ODI bowler with 255 wickets in 204 matches at an average of 22.04, making her the highest wicket-taker across all teams in women’s ODI cricket.
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