Women’s ODI World Cup | Women umpires to officiate all matches at marquee event in India and Sri Lanka

‌The International Cricket Council has named an all-woman umpiring panel for the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Cricket’s governing body has named a team of 18 members that includes four match referees and 14 umpires to call the games in the marquee event.

N Janani, Vrinda Rathi, and Gayathri Venugopalan are the Indian umpires who are part of the 14-member group, while GS Lakshmi marks her presence in the match referee category. Trudy Anderson (New Zealand), Shandre Fritz (South Africa), and Michell Pereira (Sri Lanka) are the other match referees, while Sue Redfern (England), Claire Polosak and Eloise Sheridan (Australia), Candace la Borde and Jacqueline Williams (West Indies), Kim Cotton (New Zealand), Sarah Dambanevana (Zimbabwe), Shathira Jakir Jesy (Bangladesh), Kerrin Klaaste and Lauren Agenbag (South Africa), and Nimali Perera (Sri Lanka) round off the on-field and TV umpire panel.

"This marks a defining moment in the journey of women's cricket, one that we hope will pave the way for many more trailblazing stories across all facets of the sport," ICC president Jay Shah said in a statement. "The inclusion of an all-women panel of match officials is not only a major milestone but also a powerful reflection of the ICC's unwavering commitment to advancing gender equity across cricket.

"This development goes beyond symbolic value. It is about visibility, opportunity, and the creation of meaningful role models who can inspire future generations. By highlighting excellence in officiating on the global stage, we aim to spark aspiration and reinforce that leadership and impact in cricket know no gender.

"We are honoured to recognise a new chapter in the growth of the women's game. We believe the influence of this initiative will resonate far beyond this tournament, motivating more women worldwide to pursue officiating careers and helping redefine what's possible within the game."

The eight-nation tournament will kick off with a match between hosts India and Sri Lanka on September 30 in Guwahati, while the summit clash is set to be played on November 2. Each team is slated to play the other seven sides once in a single round-robin format, with the top four progressing to the semifinals. Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Navi Mumbai will host the matches in India, while Colombo will conduct all the matches to be played in the island nation.