Published: Feb 24, 2026, 03:51 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 24, 2026, 03:51 PM (IST)
The ICC has released the full schedule for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament will start on June 12 with host nation England taking on Sri Lanka in the opening match. The final will be played on July 5 at the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
The complete schedule was confirmed after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier ended in Nepal last month. Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands were the last four teams to qualify, making the 12-team line-up complete.
These four teams join defending champions New Zealand, hosts and 2009 winners England, 2016 winners West Indies, current ODI World Cup champions India, and six-time winners Australia.
Tournament Format
Twelve teams will compete in two groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
Group 1: Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Netherlands
Group 2: West Indies, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland
India are in Group 1. They will start their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston.
India have never won the Women’s T20 World Cup in nine editions so far. They have reached the semi-finals four times and made it to the final in 2020. This time, they will look to end their wait for the title.
“The release of the schedule for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is an important milestone in the run-up to the global, premier sporting event,” ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said in a release.
“This event is in continuation of ICC’s sustained investment in women’s Cricket – across expanded participation and high-performance pathways, event and production standards, tournament prize money, widened media distribution and commercial partnerships – towards the goal of commanding higher levels of attention, affiliation and stature with fans worldwide.
“The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in India served as a force multiplier for the sport – breaking records, capturing imaginations and inspiring communities – and our ambition is to carry the momentum into the event in June-July,” he added.
The tournament runs from June 12 to July 5, 2026. All eyes will be on India and other top teams as they chase the Women’s T20 World Cup title on English soil.
