EXPLAINERFrom tournament format to venues and top players to watch, here’s Al Jazeera’s guide to the Women’s Cricket World Cup.Women’s cricket will take centre stage when eight nations compete in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka from Tuesday.Australia are the defending champions and record seven-time winners of the one-day international (ODI) competition, but in-form India are favourites to break their World Cup drought at home.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Meet Fatima Sana – Pakistan’s new fast-bowling cricket captainlist 2 of 4Year in review 2024: Top 10 players and moments that shaped world cricketlist 3 of 4From Champions Trophy to AFCON: Five sport events you can’t miss in 2025list 4 of 4India’s Bumrah, New Zealand’s Kerr named ICC Cricketers of the Year 2024end of listHere’s everything you need to know about the tournament:When are the first match and final of the Women’s World Cup?The World Cup begins when India host Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday and will conclude with the final on Sunday, November 2.Why will some World Cup games be played in Sri Lanka if India is the official host?While India was confirmed as the tournament’s official host earlier this year, Sri Lanka was added as a neutral venue for games involving Pakistan.It came as a result of an ICC-brokered agreement between India and Pakistan that allows both countries the option of playing their games at a neutral venue for a tournament hosted by either South Asian nation. The neighbours have not visited each other for a bilateral cricket competition in 13 years and shared an intense four-day military and aerial conflict in May.Guwahati is set to host the first semifinal but the venue will change to Colombo if Pakistan qualify for the last four.Navi Mumbai will host the second semifinal, which will be India’s designated last-four clash if they qualify.The venue for the final can also be moved to Colombo should Pakistan enter their first Women’s World Cup final.Where are the venues of the Women’s World Cup?