With the clock ticking down to the highly anticipated Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 scheduled in India, an unexpected stutter has gripped cricket’s grandest stage: the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to form the tournament’s vital local organising committee (LOC).
This delay is causing unease within the corridors of the cricket powerhouse, as eyes from around the globe turn to the subcontinent in expectation.
The Women’s ODI World Cup, running from September 30 to November 2 and spanning five venues, including Bengaluru, Guwahati, Vizag, Indore, and a neutral Colombo, promises to be a landmark event. However, the absence of an LOC, the backbone of logistical and operational readiness, has cast a shadow over the preparations.
The LOC is more than a mere formality. It’s a team of administrators and specialists tasked with orchestrating everything from team logistics, accommodation, and local transport, to ground readiness and fan management. “There is no deadline per se to form the LOC,” a source told PTI, “but it is always better if these things are done well in advance. In countries like England and Australia, you’d normally see the LOC in place a year before the event.”
The delay can, in part, be traced to the Indian Premier League (IPL), which occupied BCCI’s senior officials until early June. Although the LOC’s formation was listed during March’s Apex Council meeting, a final decision was put on hold. With the Apex Council set to reconvene shortly, there is optimism, but also anxiety, about a swift resolution.
ICC’s recent partial schedule announcement has only heightened expectations. The hybrid model, which sees Colombo hosting matches involving Pakistan, adds further layers of complexity that an active LOC could help address swiftly.
This isn’t the first time India has seen organisational delays for a marquee ICC event: the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup schedule was finalised at the eleventh hour due to logistical headaches. Yet, the stakes are arguably higher now as India prepares to host its first standalone women’s ICC event since 2013.
The event will be a showcase for recently introduced initiatives, such as equal pay for women’s cricketers. But symbolism alone cannot compensate for a lack of planning; robust behind-the-scenes infrastructure is essential if India wants to cement its place as a leader in women’s cricket.
Despite strides over the past decade, including vastly improved resources and professional support, the Indian women’s team still seeks its first ICC crown at the senior level. The 2025 World Cup is as much about inspiring a generation as it is about securing silverware.
As anticipation grows in India and around the cricketing world, the BCCI must now act swiftly to ensure the LOC is formed and hits the ground running. Every week counts, and history has shown that the success of an international sporting event rests as much on backstage efficiency as on on-field brilliance.
Fans, players, and stakeholders will hope that the only drama when September arrives is the on-field competition, not lingering administrative chaos. The countdown is on, and the world is watching.
