India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur downplayed any notion of pressure on the eve of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 opener against Sri Lanka in Guwahati. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Indian captain stated that the team is feeling excited to play in home conditions after a 12-year gap. "The World Cup is returning to India after 12 years, but there is no pressure at all for us," Harmanpreet said. "We are feeling really well, and in the practice matches, we tried to tick all the boxes. We are excited that we are getting the opportunity to play in home conditions."
The Indian team appears to be focusing on practical preparation, particularly concerning the local playing conditions. "The only thing which we have to keep in mind is the dew factor, because of the weather... and the lights will be on.” This concern was immediately put into action during a practice session, where bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi poured water over the practice balls and rolled them on the grass to prepare the bowlers for gripping a wet ball late in the match.
Harmanpreet, who has recently struggled with being an LBW candidate, was observed taking throwdowns without her pads, specifically working on playing textbook drives to full balls aimed at her middle and leg stumps. The Indian team is confident in their form, with the skipper noting, "We played more ODIs after the last T20I World Cup... And we have won most of our matches, and that has given a lot of confidence to do well in ODI cricket."
On the opposing side, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu admitted India is a strong contender due to the home advantage, but assured that her team is ready for the fight. Athapaththu, who is looking forward to playing most of their matches at home as co-hosts, also expressed a desire for an Asian team to win the World Cup for the first time. She expressed relief that her team is no longer solely dependent on a few, “Some years back, all things depended on my shoulders, but not anymore, because we have good youngsters now... We have good young team."
While India has historically dominated the head-to-head rivalry with 31 wins in 35 matches, Sri Lanka did manage to win their penultimate meeting in a Tri-Series earlier this year. Both captains have acknowledged the increased standard of women's cricket and the expected support from spectators, with the Indian skipper, hoping the World Cup will be "special for us players and the fans."