New Delhi: The 10th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is coming to England and Wales. It will run from 12 June to 5 July 2026. This is the first time the country has hosted the tournament since the inaugural edition in 2009. Since then, a lot has changed.

This edition has been expanded to 12 teams, up from 10 in the previous tournament. As a result, it will be the largest Women’s T20 World Cup in history. A total of 33 matches will be played across seven iconic venues. The tournament will conclude with the final at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 5 July.

The 12 Teams

World Cup is never easy, and this time 12 nations have earned their place through a mix of automatic qualification and a global qualifier held in Nepal earlier in 2026.

England qualified as hosts. The top five teams from the 2024 edition — Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and West Indies, earned direct entry. Pakistan and Sri Lanka came in via ICC Women’s T20I rankings.

The 12 teams are split into two groups:

Group 1: Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands
Group 2: England, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland

The Netherlands will make their Women’s T20 World Cup debut at this tournament. Notably, this will be their first appearance at a women’s cricket World Cup since 2000.

Back then, they qualified for the 50-over event, making this return particularly significant.

Defending Champions under new leadership

New Zealand under Sophie Devine’s leadership, claimed their maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the 2024 final in Dubai. Now, under new captain Amelia Kerr, New Zealand enter this edition as defending champions.

England as host

England hosting this tournament carries a poetic symmetry. When they last hosted the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009, they lifted the title under then-captain Charlotte Edwards. Today, she returns as the head coach.

This time, she stands in the dugout, guiding and motivating her team from the sidelines.

England’s 15-player squad is led by Nat Sciver-Brunt, who will be appearing in her seventh T20 World Cup, with Charlie Dean named vice-captain

India reigning 50 over champions

Harmanpreet Kaur will lead an Indian team who are the reigning 50-over world champions and are seeking to win the T20 World Cup for the first time.

Six-Time Champions Australia

Australia are chasing a seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title and will compete in Group 1 alongside South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, new captain Sophie Molineux will lead Australia at her first ICC event, following Alyssa Healy’s retirement last summer.

Seven Iconic Grounds Across England

In May 2025, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the seven venues for the tournament. Lord’s Cricket Ground will host the final. The Oval will stage the semi-finals.

Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Headingley Cricket Ground, Edgbaston, Rose Bowl Cricket Ground, and Bristol County Ground will host the other matches.

Additionally Warm-up matches will also be held at three additional venues. These include Sophia Gardens, County Cricket Ground Derby, and Haslegrave Ground.

Key Fixtures

The tournament opens with England taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on Friday 12 June

• 14 June: India vs Pakistan at Edgbaston — always a spectacle, expect this to be a sellout
• 28 June: Australia vs India at Lord’s Cricket Ground (19:00 IST) — a potential title preview
• 27 June: England vs New Zealand at The Oval (23:00 IST)
• 30 June: Semi-Final 1 at The Oval (19:00 IST)
• 2 July: Semi-Final 2 at The Oval (23:00 IST)
• 5 July: The Final at Lord’s Cricket Ground (19:00 IST)

Squad

New Zealand squad:

Melie Kerr (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp, Lea Tahuhu.

England squad:

Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Charlie Dean (vc), Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Dani Gibson, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Heather Knight, Linsey Smith, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

India squad:

Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.

Australia, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and Scotland: The squads are yet to be announced.

How to Watch

The first wave of priority tickets for the tournament final sold out within 24 hours, with strong demand across other key fixtures too. Fans can register at womens.t20worldcup.com for ticket access.

In the UK, Sky Sports will carry comprehensive coverage, with the opener and the final available free-to-air. For fans in India, expect broadcasts on Star Sports and streaming on JioCinema or Jio Hotstar.

Tournament Director Beth Barrett-Wild described the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as an opportunity to transform a month of sporting excellence into a movement that will rewrite the narrative about women’s cricket.

With debutants like the Netherlands, a record 12 teams, and seven legendary venues, the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is set to be remembered as the most competitive, most watched, and most talked-about edition the sport has ever seen.