All you need to know about the Women's Cricket World Cup

Calling all cricket fans - the biggest tournament in the women's game is underway.

The ICC Women's World Cup is taking place in India and Sri Lanka over the next month.

Eight teams, including England, will be battling it out to be crowned world champions.

But what can we expect from the 2025 tournament? Keep reading to find out.

Are you excited for the Cricket World Cup? Let us know in the comments below.

Where is the Women's Cricket World Cup taking place?

The opening match of this year's Women's Cricket World Cup features both hosts India and Sri Lanka

The 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup is the 13th edition of the tournament.

This year, it's being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

It's India's fourth time hosting the event. However Sri Lanka has never staged the Women's World Cup before.

The tournament runs from Tuesday 30 September until the final, just over four weeks later, on Sunday 2 November.

Which countries are taking part in the Women's Cricket World Cup?

England are the only home nation taking part in the 2025 Cricket World Cup

There are eight nations taking part in this year's World Cup.

They are Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

England, captained by Nat Sciver-Brunt, will get their campaign underway against South Africa on Friday 3 October in the Indian city of Guwahati.

2025 is the last time that the tournament will have eight teams - as that number will rise to ten at the next Women's Cricket World Cup, in 2029.

Who are the Women's Cricket World Cup mascots?

Blaze and Tonk are the two mascots for this year's tournament

Meet Blaze and Tonk - the official mascots for this year's Women's Cricket World Cup.

If they look familiar, that's because the duo first featured at the last Men's Cricket World Cup in 2023, which took place in India.

Blaze is a female fast-bowling sensation who is leaving batters in sheer awe.

She wears a belt carrying six power cricket orbs, each one ready for her various game-changing tactics.

Tonk is a male batter who has an icy-cool composure, making him a batting champion.

He's often pictured with his electromagnetic bat, which lights up the biggest of stages.

Who are the current world champions?

Australia are the defending champions, having won the trophy in 2022

Australia are the defending champions, having beaten England in the 2022 World Cup final.

In fact, Australia is the most successful nation in the history of the sport and has been crowned world champions seven times.

It'll probably come as no surprise that they are also currently the number one side in the ICC world rankings and considered as favourites by many to scoop the title again.

There have only been three nations in the women's game who have previously won the World Cup - Australia, England and New Zealand.

England will be hoping to take the title for a fifth time, having last got their hands on the trophy in 2017.

What is the format of the Women's Cricket World Cup?

Could one of this year's hosts be crowned World Champions for the first time?

Matches are 50 overs per side, with each team playing the others once in the initial round-robin group stage.

The top four teams will then progress to the semi-finals.

The group-stage leader will face the team which finished fourth, for a place in the final.

The teams that finish second and third after the group stage will play each other in the other semi-final match.