Women's cricket continues to push frontiers, and Sri Lanka is now making waves by hosting its inaugural Women's ODI Tri-Nation Series. Hosted by Sri Lanka, along with India and South Africa, the tournament will offer high-octane action, new combinations, and important build-up before the ICC Women's World Cup 2025. With a blend of veteran campaigners and young talent, this series is not merely another tournament on the calendar—it's a statement of intent for the subcontinent's future in women's cricket. The entire series will be hosted in Colombo.
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Tournament Overview
Format:
One Day International (ODI) Tri-Nation Series — Double round-robin followed by Final. Each team plays each other twice, and the leading two teams play the final.
Matches:
Total 7 — 6 round-robin + 1 Final
Venue:
The entire tournament will be conducted at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium (RPICS), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Significance:
It's Sri Lanka's inaugural women's ODI tri-series, hence a milestone event. It's also a prime preparation series in the run-up to the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup, presenting a live testing ground for team combinations, promising youth, and pressure strategies.
Match Schedule (All local times – IST)
April 27 – India vs Sri Lanka – 10:00 AM IST
April 29 – South Africa vs India – 10:00 AM IST
May 1 – Sri Lanka vs South Africa – 10:00 AM IST
May 4 – Sri Lanka vs India – 10:00 AM IST
May 6 – South Africa vs India – 10:00 AM IST
May 8 – Sri Lanka vs South Africa – 10:00 AM IST
May 11 – Final – 10:00 AM IST
Team Squads & Key Players
India Women
Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
Vice-Captain: Smriti Mandhana
Key Players: Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shree Charani, Harleen Deol
Strengths: Well-balanced side with explosive top order and seasoned all-rounders. India will try to test bench strength before the World Cup.
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South Africa Women
Captain: Laura Wolvaardt
Key Players: Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Tazmin Brits, Suné Luus, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
Update: Anneke Bosch is out with illness; Lara Goodall takes her place in the team.
Strengths: Strong on athletic fielding and the depth of fast bowling, South Africa will seek to exploit subcontinent conditions for building resilience.
Sri Lanka Women
Captain: Chamari Athapaththu
Key Players: Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Inoka Ranaweera, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani
Strengths: Sri Lanka will be relying on spin and home conditions familiarity. Their seasoned top order will be the key to maintaining consistent performances.
Context & Significance
A Crucial World Cup Dress Rehearsal:
This series reaches a crucial stage with the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 just around the corner. All three teams are busy finalizing their last sets of squads and sorting out tactical combinations. The tri-series presents a once-in-a-while chance for both sides to try out things under tournament scenarios, gauge player fitness, check bench strength, and practice game situations that would be decisive in knockout games later this year.
Sri Lanka's Moment of Pride:
Having a women's tri-nation series of such magnitude is a historical milestone in Sri Lankan cricket. It is a reflection of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) ramping up a more serious attempt to invest in the women's game and exposing their national side to regular international games. It's also a chance for the local cricket community to see women's cricket up close and personal at home, something that can do much to inspire the next generation of women cricketers.
Promoting Women's Cricket in Asia:
The popularity of women's cricket in Asia has increased by leaps and bounds in recent times. Tournaments such as this one assist in closing the exposure gap between men's and women's games. Live television coverage, online promotion, and fan support from this three-nation series can help bring about a change in culture towards the perception of women's sports in the continent.
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The Women’s ODI Tri-Nation Series in Sri Lanka is not just another tournament—it’s a reflection of how far women’s cricket has come and how bright the future looks. With teams eager to refine strategies and test player combinations ahead of the World Cup, every match will matter. More importantly, it sets a new benchmark for how women's cricket is hosted, covered, and celebrated in South Asia. Whether it’s a seasoned player making a statement or a youngster grabbing the spotlight, this series promises to deliver more than just results—it promises inspiration.
About the Author
Advait Kadam is a sports writer at Vygr Media, specializing in cricket coverage and match analysis. With a background in Sports Management and a passion for storytelling, he brings sharp insights and fresh perspectives to every game.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Vygr’s views.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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