India Vs Pakistan: Men’s cricket battle done, now women bring the drama at World Cup clash

As men’s drama ending in cricket, the women’s are likely to encounter another thrilling chapter in this iconic rivalry between India and Pakistan that extends far beyond the boundary ropes.

Just a week after the men’s Asia Cup final, where India defeated Pakistan for the third time in the tournament, the cricketing spotlight is set to shift to the women’s game.

On Sunday, October 5, India and Pakistan’s women’s teams would face off in a high-voltage group stage match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, Pakistan had earlier declined to travel to India for the World Cup, prompting the ICC to relocate their fixtures to neutral venues.

As a result, all of Pakistan’s matches are being played in Colombo, including the upcoming clash against India.

While ICC events follow strict protocols, such as mandatory handshakes between captains at the toss and among players and staff after the match, there remains some uncertainty about how these will be observed, given the strained relations.

According to BCCI sources, the Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, has not received any specific directives so far, reports Indian Express.

“It’s an ICC event, so the usual protocols will apply, and the team will adhere to them,” an official noted.

India vs Pakistan is arguably the most anticipated rivalry in world cricket.

Interestingly, this will mark the fourth consecutive Sunday of an India vs Pakistan clash, following the men’s Asia Cup matches held on September 14 (Group Stage), September 21 (Super 4s), and September 28 (Final), all of which India won their record ninth title.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt.), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, N. Shree Charani and Uma Chetri.

Pakistan: Fatima Sana (Capt.), Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, and Syeda Aroob Shah.