A win-loss record of 22-1 in 24 matches, with one no-result, against other group frontrunner Sri Lanka, makes fifth-ranked India the firm favourite in the group even though that one defeat against Sri Lanka was a heavy one and not too many years ago.
Sri Lanka's victory against India was a huge 138-run win that knocked the host out of the ICC Women's World Cup 2013 at the preliminary stage but a lot has changed and the India eves has not let the guard down since then.
Ireland, Zimbabwe and Thailand are the other teams in the group while Group B consists of South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Scotland and Papua New Guinea. The top three teams from either group will advance to the Super Six stage with the top two teams playing the final on February 21.
"We will obviously be cautious against all teams but that loss against Sri Lanka was way back in 2013 and it was just one of those matches in which we did not click. But after that, whenever we have played them, we have clean-swept them, including in the ICC Women's Championship last year," India captain Mithali Raj.
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India, runner-up at the ICC Women's World Cup in 2005, has a host of proven performers. Mithali Raj is the highest ranked batter in the Colombo tournament at third position while Harmanpreet Kaur is ranked 10th, making India the only team there with two players in the top-10 of the MRF Tyres ICC Women's Rankings for ODI Batters.
For Sri Lanka, Chamari Athapaththu and Prasadani Weerakkody are the leading batters while captain Inoka Ranaweera and Shashikala Siriwardene would be looking to make the most of the home surfaces.
While India and eighth-ranked Sri Lanka, whose best performance at the ICC Women's World Cup is fifth position in 2013, will be the leading sides from the group, Ireland would hold an edge over others as teams look to advance to the Super Six stage and ensure ODI status for the next four-year cycle.
While all qualifiers for the Super Sixes stage at the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier 2017 will gain ODI status for the next four years, the top four will qualify for the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 in England and Wales from June 24 to July 23, as well as the next ICC Women's Championship.
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