ICC Announces Schedule for Women's T20 World Cup 2026: India vs Pakistan on June 14
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Dubai, Feb 24 (NationPress) The ICC has officially released the final schedule for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to kick off on June 12 with the host nation, England, taking on Sri Lanka in the opening match. The tournament's final will occur on July 5 at the prestigious Lord's Cricket Ground.
The complete schedule follows the conclusion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier held in Nepal last month, where Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands secured their places, finalizing the lineup of 12 teams for this major event.
These four qualifying teams will join formidable opponents, including defending champions New Zealand, host nation England (who won the inaugural tournament in 2009), 2016 champions West Indies, current ODI World Cup titleholders India, and six-time tournament victors Australia.
The tournament will feature twelve teams divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
India is positioned in Group A alongside six-time champions Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. They will commence their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston, followed by a match against the Netherlands on June 16. Their schedule continues with games against South Africa on June 21, Bangladesh on June 25, and concludes with a clash against Australia on June 28.
“The announcement of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 schedule marks a significant milestone as we approach this premier global sporting event,” stated ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta in an official release.
“This event represents ICC's ongoing commitment to enhancing women's cricket through expanded participation, high-performance pathways, improved event and production standards, increased tournament prize money, broader media distribution, and strengthened commercial partnerships. Our aim is to elevate the sport's visibility and stature among fans worldwide.
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in India was a transformative event for the sport, shattering records and inspiring communities. Our goal is to maintain this momentum as we head into the tournament in June-July,” he added.
India has not yet claimed a title in the Women's T20 World Cup across its nine editions thus far. They reached the semi-finals four times and contested the final in 2020. The team is determined to achieve their first victory 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