Record 22,843 fans attend ICC Women’s WC opener in Guwahati, breaks group-stage record
The match’s opening ceremony stood out as musicians celebrated and paid homage to cultural icon Zubeen Garg
A still from the opening ceremony at Barsapara Stadium, on Tuesday. (Photo:@ICC/X)
Guwahati, Oct 1: Guwahati’s first-ever women’s ODI drew an unprecedented turnout of over 22,000 fans, despite intermittent rain, setting a new record for an ICC women’s event.
The India-Sri Lanka clash on Tuesday saw 22,843 spectators at the venue, surpassing the previous group-stage attendance record of 15,935 set during the India-Pakistan fixture at last year’s Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai, the ICC confirmed on Wednesday.
“The attendance of 22,843 spectators for the opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 is the highest ever for a group-stage fixture at any ICC women’s event,” the global body said in a press release.
India made a commanding start to the tournament, defeating Sri Lanka by 59 runs, bolstered by home advantage and strong recent form.
The opening ceremony paid a heartfelt tribute to Assam’s late cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, with acclaimed musicians Papon, Joi Barua, Shreya Ghosal and the Shillong Chamber Choir performing his most celebrated songs before an emotional home crowd.
India’s national anthem was rendered by Ghoshal, while Sri Lanka’s anthem was performed by Nuwandhika Kumari. During the mid-innings interval, Ghoshal returned to perform the official tournament anthem, along with a medley of her hit tracks.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also honoured 16 former Indian women cricketers, including ICC Hall of Famers Diana Eduljee and Neetu David, and former captains Shanta Rangaswamy, Pramila Bhatt, Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra, and Mithali Raj.
The 31-match tournament will continue across Guwahati, Indore, Vishakhapatnam, Mumbai, and Colombo, promising more action-packed games for fans.