The World Cup big bang: Of batting boom, spin rise and India at the centre

If the 2017 World Cup put the women's game on the global cricket map, the 2025 edition in India promises to be a game-changer. As the first ICC event to be hosted in India in almost a decade, its influence will be seismic. Australia and England have traditionally traded the silverware in the 21st century, but co-hosts India enter the tournament brimming with confidence. They're one of just three teams with a positive win-loss record in the current cycle, alongside the traditional powerhouses, as the trio currently sit atop the ICC rankings. The women's game has seen remarkable growth in the past three years, spurred on by the introduction of the WPL in India, a factor that will undoubtedly have an influence the outcome of this eight-team showdown.

Note: All the stats in the piece is considered for ODIs involving the eight participating teams in World Cup 2025 and West Indies, unless specifically mentioned. A World Cup cycle includes ODIs played from the end of a World Cup until the finals of the subsequent edition.

A high scoring tournament on the cards

The recent series decider between India and Australia in Delhi could well have foreshadowed of what's to come. In that ODI, a