Overview

• India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur with Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain, begin their campaign seeking a first ICC title after strong pre-tournament results against England and competitive outings versus Australia.
• The opener at Barsapara/ACA Stadium starts at 3 pm IST, with live coverage on Star Sports and streaming on JioHotstar in India.
• The tournament features a 28-match round-robin across Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Indore, Navi Mumbai and Colombo, with the top four advancing to the semifinals and the final scheduled for November 2.
• Pakistan will play all seven league matches in Colombo, including the October 5 meeting with India, and Colombo could host a semifinal and the final if Pakistan qualify.
• A 40-minute opening ceremony in Guwahati is scaled down as a tribute to the late Zubeen Garg, featuring performances by Papon, Joi Baruah and the Shillong Chamber Choir, with Shreya Ghoshal set to perform the tournament theme.