The Indian Women’s Cricket Team will step into the final phase of its World Cup build-up with a strategic training camp in Visakhapatnam, starting August 25. The week-long camp, shifted from Bengaluru due to logistical hurdles, will focus on skill refinement, conditioning, and match simulations.

Why Visakhapatnam?

The ACA-VDCA Stadium was chosen strategically, as India will play two crucial World Cup fixtures there, against South Africa on October 9 and Australia on October 12. Interestingly, only three players in the current squad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Sneh Rana, have played at this venue before, making the camp vital for team familiarisation.

Camp Schedule and Intra-Squad Games

All 15 members of the main squad, along with reserves and India A players, will be part of the camp. The program includes intense training sessions and two intra-squad day-night matches, allowing players to adapt to conditions under lights. The camp will conclude ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against Australia beginning September 16 in New Chandigarh.

Part of a Larger Build-Up

This is the second major preparation phase for the team after their 10-day conditioning camp at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where focus was on fitness, fielding, and match readiness. Post-Visakhapatnam, the team will play World Cup warm-ups against England on September 25 and New Zealand on September 27 in Bengaluru.

Road to the World Cup

India begins its World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30. The tournament will run till November 2, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with matches scheduled in Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Indore. With a balanced mix of experienced leaders like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana alongside emerging talents, India will be hoping the Visakhapatnam camp sets the tone for a strong World Cup campaign at home.