Dubai, February 24 – The ICC on Tuesday unveiled the final schedule for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on June 12 with the host, England, playing against Sri Lanka in the tournament opener. The final will be played on July 5 at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.
The full schedule has been confirmed following the conclusion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Nepal last month. Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands were the final four teams to secure their spots in the event, officially completing the 12-team lineup for the premier tournament.
The four qualifying teams join defending champions New Zealand, host and inaugural edition winners in 2009, England, 2016 winners West Indies, current ODI World Cup champions India, and six-time tournament winners Australia.
Twelve teams will participate in the tournament, which is divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group playing the semi-finals.
India will be in Group A with six-time champions Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. They will play their first match against their arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston, followed by their match against the Netherlands on June 16. They will play South Africa on June 21 and Bangladesh on June 25 before concluding their group stage campaign against Australia on June 28.
“The release of the schedule for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is a significant milestone in the lead-up to the global, premier sporting event,” said ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta in a statement.
“This event continues 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 this momentum into the event in June-July,” he added.
In nine editions so far, India has never won the Women’s T20 World Cup. They have reached the semi-finals four times and played in the 2020 final. They will aim to end their quest in the upcoming tournament.
Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Groups
Group 1: Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Netherlands
Group 2: West Indies, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland
