ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: Complete Guide to Schedule, Venues, Teams & Format

Cricket’s biggest women’s tournament is almost here! The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 12 in England, bringing together 12 of the world’s best teams for 24 days of thrilling T20 cricket across seven iconic venues

Olympics.

With warm-up matches already underway featuring clashes like West Indies vs India and England vs Australia on June 8, the stage is set for what promises to be an unforgettable tournament culminating in the final at Lord’s on July 5, 2026

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📅 Tournament Overview: Key Facts

Detail	Information
🗓️ Dates	June 12 – July 5, 2026
🏴󠁧󠁥󠁧󠁿 Host Country	England
🏟️ Venues	7 historic grounds across England
🏏 Teams	12 nations (expanded from 10)
📊 Total Matches	33 fixtures
🏆 Defending Champions	New Zealand
🎯 Final Venue	Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

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🏟️ Seven Iconic Venues

The tournament will be played across seven of England’s most prestigious cricket grounds

Olympics:

1. Edgbaston, Birmingham (Capacity: 25,000)

• Matches: 4
• Opening Match: England vs Sri Lanka (June 12)
• Highlight: India vs Pakistan (June 14)

2. Lord’s, London (Capacity: 31,100)

• Matches: 4 (including Final)
• Final: July 5, 2026
• Key Games: England vs West Indies (June 24), Australia vs India (June 28)

3. The Oval, London (Capacity: 27,500)

• Matches: 3 (Semi-finals)
• Semi-Final 1: June 30
• Semi-Final 2: July 2
• Group Stage: England vs New Zealand (June 27)

4. Old Trafford, Manchester (Capacity: 26,000)

• Matches: 5
• Key Fixtures: Australia vs South Africa (June 13), South Africa vs India (June 21)

5. Rose Bowl (Hampshire Bowl), Southampton (Capacity: 25,000)

• Matches: 6
• Opening Weekend: West Indies vs New Zealand (June 13)
• Notable: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka (June 16), England vs Ireland (June 16)

6. Headingley, Leeds (Capacity: 18,350)

• Matches: 5
• Highlights: Australia vs Bangladesh (June 17), England vs Scotland (June 20)

7. County Ground, Bristol (Capacity: 17,500)

• Matches: 6
• Key Games: West Indies vs Sri Lanka (June 21), South Africa vs Netherlands (June 25)

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👥 The 12 Teams: Two Groups of Six

The 12 participating teams have been divided into two groups of six, with each team playing every other team in their group once

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Group A

1. 🇦🇺 Australia (6-time champions)
2. 🇧🇩 Bangladesh (Qualified via Global Qualifier)
3. 🇮🇳 India (Runners-up 2024)
4. 🇳🇱 Netherlands (First-ever Women’s T20 World Cup appearance)
5. 🇵🇰 Pakistan
6. 🇿🇦 South Africa (2024 ODI World Cup runners-up)

Group B

1. 🏴󠁥󠁧 England (Hosts, 2009 champions)
2. 🇮🇪 Ireland
3. 🇳 New Zealand (Defending champions)
4. 🏴󠁳󠁿 Scotland
5. 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
6. 🇼🇸 West Indies (2012 & 2016 champions)

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📊 Tournament Format

Group Stage (June 12-28)

• Each team plays 5 matches (against all teams in their group)
• Total of 30 group stage matches
• Top 2 teams from each group qualify for semi-finals
• Points: 2 for a win, 1 for no result, 0 for a loss

Knockout Stage

Semi-Finals (June 30 & July 2 at The Oval)

• Winner Group A vs Runner-up Group B
• Winner Group B vs Runner-up Group A

Final (July 5 at Lord’s)

• Winners of semi-finals clash for the title

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📅 Complete Match Schedule (IST Times)

Week 1: June 12-17

Friday, June 12

• England vs Sri Lanka (Edgbaston) – 11:00 PM IST

Saturday, June 13

• Scotland vs Ireland (Old Trafford) – 3:00 PM IST
• Australia vs South Africa (Old Trafford) – 7:00 PM IST
• West Indies vs New Zealand (Hampshire Bowl) – 11:00 PM IST

Sunday, June 14

• Bangladesh vs Netherlands (Edgbaston) – 3:00 PM IST
• India vs Pakistan (Edgbaston) – 7:00 PM IST 🔥

Tuesday, June 16

• New Zealand vs Sri Lanka (Hampshire Bowl) – 7:00 PM IST
• England vs Ireland (Hampshire Bowl) – 11:00 PM IST

Wednesday, June 17

• Australia vs Bangladesh (Headingley) – 3:00 PM IST
• India vs Netherlands (Headingley) – 7:00 PM IST
• South Africa vs Pakistan (Edgbaston) – 11:00 PM IST

Week 2: June 18-24

Thursday, June 18

• West Indies vs Scotland (Headingley) – 11:00 PM IST

Friday, June 19

• New Zealand vs Ireland (Hampshire Bowl) – 11:00 PM IST

Saturday, June 20

• Australia vs Netherlands (Hampshire Bowl) – 3:00 PM IST
• Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Hampshire Bowl) – 7:00 PM IST
• England vs Scotland (Headingley) – 11:00 PM IST

Sunday, June 21

• West Indies vs Sri Lanka (Bristol) – 3:00 PM IST
• South Africa vs India (Old Trafford) – 7:00 PM IST 🔥

Tuesday, June 23

• New Zealand vs Scotland (Bristol) – 3:00 PM IST
• Sri Lanka vs Ireland (Bristol) – 7:00 PM IST
• Australia vs Pakistan (Headingley) – 11:00 PM IST

Wednesday, June 24

• England vs West Indies (Lord’s) – 11:00 PM IST

Week 3: June 25-28

Thursday, June 25

• India vs Bangladesh (Old Trafford) – 7:00 PM IST
• South Africa vs Netherlands (Bristol) – 11:00 PM IST

Friday, June 26

• Sri Lanka vs Scotland (Old Trafford) – 11:00 PM IST

Saturday, June 27

• Pakistan vs Netherlands (Bristol) – 3:00 PM IST
• West Indies vs Ireland (Bristol) – 7:00 PM IST
• England vs New Zealand (The Oval) – 11:00 PM IST 🔥

Sunday, June 28

• South Africa vs Bangladesh (Lord’s) – 3:00 PM IST
• Australia vs India (Lord’s) – 7:00 PM IST 🔥

Knockout Stage

Tuesday, June 30

• Semi-Final 1 (The Oval) – 7:00 PM IST

Thursday, July 2

• Semi-Final 2 (The Oval) – 11:00 PM IST

Sunday, July 5

• FINAL (Lord’s) – 7:00 PM IST 🏆

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🔥 Must-Watch Matches

Group Stage Blockbusters

India vs Pakistan (June 14, Edgbaston)

• The biggest rivalry in cricket
• Always delivers drama regardless of rankings

Australia vs South Africa (June 13, Old Trafford)

• Rematch of 2024 semi-final
• Two powerhouses clash

England vs New Zealand (June 27, The Oval)

• Hosts vs defending champions
• Crucial for semi-final qualifications

Australia vs India (June 28, Lord’s)

• Two cricket giants meet at the Home of Cricket
• Could determine group standings

South Africa vs India (June 21, Old Trafford)

• Rematch of 2023 ODI World Cup final
• High-stakes encounter

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🏆 Key Storylines to Watch

1. New Zealand’s Title Defense

Can the defending champions retain their crown on English soil?

2. England’s Home Advantage

Hosts will be desperate to win their second T20 World Cup (first since 2009)

3. Australia’s Quest for Glory

The 6-time champions (most successful team) will be hungry to reclaim dominance

4. India’s Championship Pursuit

Can India finally win the T20 World Cup after years of near-misses?

5. Netherlands’ Historic Debut

First-ever Women’s T20 World Cup appearance – can they cause upsets?

6. South Africa’s Breakthrough Bid

After multiple final heartbreaks, can the Proteas finally lift a global trophy?

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📺 How to Watch

Broadcast Partners:

• 🇮🇳 India: Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar
• 🏴󠁥󠁿 UK: Sky Sports Cricket
• 🌍 Global: ICC.tv (selected regions)

Streaming: Check local broadcasters for digital streaming options in your region.

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🎫 Ticket Information

Tickets are available through official ECB channels:

• Individual match tickets
• Group session packages
• Hospitality experiences
• Semi-final and final tickets (selling fast!)

Visit ECB.co.uk or individual venue websites for ticket availability.

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🌟 Players to Watch

Superstars

• Smriti Mandhana (India) – Explosive opener
• Beth Mooney (Australia) – Consistent match-winner
• Sophie Ecclestone (England) – World’s #1 ranked bowler
• Amelia Kerr (New Zealand) – All-round brilliance
• Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) – Elegant batter

Rising Stars

Keep an eye on young talents ready to announce themselves on the world stage!

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💡 What Makes This Tournament Special?

✅ Expanded Format: 12 teams (up from 10) means more cricket and more opportunities for emerging nations

✅ Historic Venues: From Lord’s to Edgbaston, cricket’s most iconic grounds

✅ Summer Cricket: Perfect English summer conditions for high-scoring T20s

✅ Olympic Build-up: With cricket returning to the 2028 Olympics, this World Cup is a crucial showcase

✅ Growing Popularity: Women’s cricket experiencing unprecedented global growth and viewership

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🏅 Previous Winners

Year	Host	Winner	Runner-up
2009	England	England	New Zealand
2010	West Indies	Australia	New Zealand
2012	Sri Lanka	West Indies	Australia
2014	Bangladesh	Australia	England
2016	India	West Indies	Australia
2018	West Indies	Australia	England
2020	Australia	Australia	India
2023	South Africa	Australia	South Africa
2024	UAE	New Zealand	South Africa
2026	England	?	?

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🙌 Final Thought

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 promises to be a celebration of cricket, skill, and sporting excellence. From the opening ball at Edgbaston to the final delivery at Lord’s, every match will write new chapters in women’s cricket history.

Whether you’re backing the defending champions New Zealand, hoping for England’s home glory, or supporting emerging nations making their mark, one thing is certain: the future of women’s cricket has never looked brighter.

Get ready for 24 days of pure cricketing magic! 🏏✨