Cricket News
Women's T20 World Cup Full Schedule 2026: Date, Time, Fixtures, Teams, Venue details announced
The full schedule for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has been confirmed following the conclusion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Nepal last month – officially completing the 12‑team line‑up for what promises to be a landmark summer of women’s cricket.
Joining tournament hosts England are Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland, who each secured their place after an intense qualification campaign that showcased the strength and depth of the women’s global game. It also marks a historic moment for the European nations, as they account for a third of the competing teams in this year’s tournament.
A tantalising home nations match-up now awaits in the group stages, with England set to take on Scotland at Headingley on 20 June, marking the first time the two countries will meet at either a women’s or men’s World Cup staged on English soil. The box-office fixture is expected to draw huge crowds, with Scottish stars including Kathryn and Sarah Bryce and Abtaha Maqsood taking on the tournament hosts.
Ireland kick off their World Cup campaign with an exciting all-Celtic clash at Old Trafford, as they face Scotland on 13 June. A trip to the south coast follows as they take on England at the Hampshire Bowl on 16 June as part of a thrilling double-header featuring current World Cup holders, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka earlier on the same day.
Having gone unbeaten in the qualifiers, Bangladesh will be looking to make their mark in Group 2 having been a regular presence at ICC Women’s T20 World Cups in recent years. Tough tests await them, including Australia at Headingley on 17 June, and an in-form India on 25 June at Old Trafford.
The Netherlands make their maiden appearance at an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with a squad featuring exciting talent such as Yorkshire’s Sterre Kallis, who will test her skills on the global stage against world-class opposition, including group stage match ups with India at Headingley on 17 June and Australia on 20 June at the Hampshire Bowl.
The qualifying quartet now join England, Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies on the global stage from 12 June until 5 July across England and Wales.
ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta said:
“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. This event is in continuation of the 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. The tournament also follows closely on the heels of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, reinforcing the ICC’s commitment to creating year-round global moments for the world’s second most popular sport.
“Venues across England and Wales will serve as a wonderful stage for high-quality competitive Cricket, unforgettable memories and unifying cultural experiences that define global events.
“We are confident that the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be the next defining chapter in the accelerated growth of women’s cricket worldwide.”
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Tournament Director, Beth Barrett-Wild said:
“Huge congratulations to Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands for earning their World Cup spots through a hard-fought and competitive qualifying event. We’re delighted to now confirm our full schedule and set the stage for a tournament that will not only showcase the very best of the women’s game but also ignite some home nation rivalry when England take on Scotland at Headingley on 20 June.
“This Women’s T20 World Cup will bring world-class athletes, elite performances and unforgettable moments to fans across England and Wales. With high-quality cricket at its core, the tournament promises to be an unmissable sporting spectacle that captures hearts and minds, and takes women’s cricket firmly into the mainstream.”
Scotland’s captain, Kathryn Bryce, added:
“It’s going to be absolutely incredible playing at a World Cup in England and Wales. It’s probably the closest we will get to playing at home, so it’s going to be super exciting to be so close to home and give people from Scotland the chance to travel and watch and support the national team on this sort of stage.
“For the young boys and girls in Scotland who’ve been watching cricket or picked it up during the last few years, for it to now be possible for them to come and see players from their country playing in a World Cup nearby is pretty special.
“The way this World Cup has been marketed so far is great, and there’s going to be a massive push on the outreach and engagement which I think is fantastic for women’s cricket across the country, so it’s really exciting to look ahead and think about the history that is going to be made this summer.”
Ireland captain, Gaby Lewis, said:
“The last few months have been huge for us, with everything building towards securing our place at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales this year. To be back on the world stage, and so close to home, really is a dream come true. This will be a landmark moment for women’s cricket in Ireland.”
“We can’t wait to see friends, family, and supporters making the trip over. We want to make them proud – and hopefully inspire young players back home to believe that they can reach a World Cup themselves one day.”
Bangladesh captain, Nigar Sultana Joty, said:
“We’re really happy to have qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. I’m incredibly proud of the way the team performed, dominating in every game.
“We have never played in England before so we’re excited but know it’s going to be a big challenge. We can’t wait for the big event and we’re going prepare ourselves with everything we have, play our best cricket and win games for our country.”
Netherlands captain, Babbette De Leede commented:
“Qualifying for our first‑ever ICC Women’s T20 World Cup fills us with an incredible sense of pride and excitement. It feels extra special because, in many ways, it’s almost a ‘home’ World Cup for us. We’re hoping to see a sea of orange in the stands with our families, friends, fans and everyone who has supported Dutch women’s cricket over the years.
“Stepping onto that stage for the very first time will be a milestone for the women’s cricket in the Netherlands, and we hope it inspires young Dutch players to dream big and believe that they, too, can one day represent a successful national team.”
ICC 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
Full ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
Friday June 12: England v Sri Lanka, Edgbaston 18:30 BST
Saturday June 13: Scotland v Ireland, Old Trafford Cricket Ground 10:30 BST
Saturday June 13: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford Cricket Ground 14:30 BST
Saturday June 13: West Indies v New Zealand, Hampshire Bowl 18:30 BST
Sunday June 14: Bangladesh v Netherlands, Edgbaston 10:30 BST
Sunday June 14: India v Pakistan, Edgbaston 14:30 BST
Tuesday June 16: New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Hampshire Bowl 14:30 BST
Tuesday June 16: England v Ireland, Hampshire Bowl 18:30 BST
Wednesday June 17: Australia v Bangladesh, Headingley 10:30 BST
Wednesday June 17: India v Netherlands, Headingley 14:30 BST
Wednesday June 17: South Africa v Pakistan, Edgbaston 18:30 BST
Thursday June 18: West Indies v Scotland, Headingley 18:30 BST
Friday June 19: New Zealand v Ireland, Hampshire Bowl 18:30 BST
Saturday June 20: Australia v Netherlands, Hampshire Bowl 10:30 BST
Saturday June 20: Pakistan v Bangladesh, Hampshire Bowl 14:30 BST
Saturday June 20: England v Scotland, Headingley 18:30 BST
Sunday June 21: West Indies v Sri Lanka, Bristol County Ground 10:30 BST
Sunday June 21: South Africa v India, Old Trafford Cricket Ground 14:30 BST
Tuesday June 23: New Zealand v Scotland, Bristol County Ground 10:30 BST
Tuesday June 23: Sri Lanka v Ireland, Bristol County Ground 14:30 BST
Tuesday June 23: Australia v Pakistan, Headingley 18:30 BST
Wednesday June 24: England v West Indies, Lord’s Cricket Ground 18:30 BST
Thursday June 25: India v Bangladesh, Old Trafford Cricket Ground 14:30 BST
Thursday June 25: South Africa v Netherlands, Bristol County Ground 18:30 BST
Friday June 26: Sri Lanka v Scotland, Old Trafford Cricket Ground 18:30 BST
Saturday June 27: Pakistan v Netherlands, Bristol County Ground 10:30 BST
Saturday June 27: West Indies v Ireland, Bristol County Ground 14:30 BST
Saturday June 27: England v New Zealand, The Oval 18:30 BST
Sunday June 28: South Africa v Bangladesh, Lord’s Cricket Ground 10:30 BST
Sunday June 28: Australia v India, Lord’s Cricket Ground 14:30 BST
Tuesday June 30: TBC v TBC (Semi Final 1), The Oval 14:30 BST
Thursday July 2: TBC v TBC (Semi Final 2), The Oval 18:30 BST
Sunday July 5: TBC v TBC (The Final), Lord’s Cricket Ground 14:30 BST
Cricket News
Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Scotland forced into making last-minute change after Abtaha Maqsood's injury
Scotland have been forced into making a last-minute change to their 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup squad following the injury to legspinner Abtaha Maqsood. This comes just a day before their opening game of the tournament against Ireland at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Maqsood picked up her injury in the Scots’ last warm-up before the showpiece tournament against Pakistan on Tuesday. The 27-year-old will be a huge miss for her side due to her pedigree in the shortest format of the game. As things stand, she is her nation’s highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, having taken 73 scalps from 78 matches at an economy rate of just 5.63.
Scotland have called up 29-year-old Hannah Rainey as an injury replacement. The right-arm seam bowler last represented her nation in November 2025 and has recently been applying her traits with Yorkshire in the Tier 1 system of English domestic cricket. She recently played two T20 Blast games for the White Roses, taking two wickets against Durham.
Rainey has 41 T20I caps under her belt, taking 25 wickets along the way at an economy of 5.39.
“The whole playing squad and coaching staff are absolutely gutted for Abtaha. She’s such an important member of our squad and will be a great loss to us both on and off the pitch during this tournament. We wish her all the very best in her recovery and hope to see her back on the field soon. Hannah now comes into the squad, and we are delighted to welcome her into the group. She obviously has plenty of experience, and this is a great opportunity for her as we head into an exciting few weeks,” Scotland head coach Craig Wallace said via ESPNcricinfo.
Despite missing Maqsood for the rest of the tournament, Scotland do have other quality bowlers in their ranks who can flourish in the spinner’s absence. These include star all-rounder Kathryn Bryce, Katherine Fraser and Priyanaz Chatterji, to name a few.
Cricket News
‘Ganguly and Tendulkar had an average…’ – Aakash Chopra hails Rohit Sharma-Shubman Gill as best ODI opening pair
India’s opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill has been one of the biggest strengths of the team in ODI cricket over the last few years. The duo has consistently provided solid starts at the top, helping India dominate opposition bowling attacks across conditions.
While Rohit has taken the aggressive route and put pressure on bowlers from the outset, Gill has played the perfect supporting role. The youngster has anchored innings when required and has chipped in with consistent scores, making the partnership one of the most successful in world cricket.
Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra recently praised the pair and called them the best opening combination in ODI cricket at present. Highlighting their impressive numbers, Chopra pointed out that the Indian duo has a better average than several legendary opening pairs.
“Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma’s opening partnership, it is right now the greatest pair in ODI cricket. We are talking about more than 2,000 runs. I am looking at the average. Theirs is 63.8, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy had an average of 58.4, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes had an average of 52.6, and Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar had an average of 49.3,” the former India opener on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’.
Chopra further highlighted the consistency shown by the pair and the number of big partnerships they have stitched together for India.
“They have scored 2,360 runs, and have 14 fifty-plus stands and seven century partnerships. So, this is the modern-day best opening combination in terms of the average. That actually is a good story,” he added.
The former opener also spoke about Rohit Sharma’s remarkable achievements and the milestones that are within his reach. Chopra noted that the Indian captain continues to add to his already impressive legacy in international cricket.
“Rohit Sharma is only six runs away from becoming the first Indian opener to score 16,000 international runs. That is some legacy. He is only one century away from moving clear of Sachin Tendulkar for the second place on the all-time list of international hundreds as an opener. Rohit Sharma is at that stage of his career where he will keep creating or breaking records,” he concluded.
The highly successful opening pair of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma is likely to reunite during India’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan starting on June 13.
Cricket News
Zak Crawley takes break from red-ball cricket, set to be announced Sunrisers Leeds' captain
Outcast England opener Zak Crawley has decided to take a break from First-Class cricket and has been rested for the two upcoming County Championship games for Kent. This comes after the right-handed batter was dropped for the Test side ahead of the series against New Zealand, with Emilio Gay taking his place and scoring a brilliant half-century on his international debut.
This comes after reports from ESPNcricinfo stating that the 28-year-old is on the verge of being announced as Sunrisers Leeds‘ (formerly Northern Superchargers) captain ahead of The Hundred 2026. Crawley was signed by the new franchise for GBP 180,000 in the inaugural player auction after a stellar campaign last time around, where he scored 280 runs at a strike-rate of 160 for the Northern Superchargers.
On their website, Kent revealed that the decision to rest Crawley was taken in consultation with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), as the batter remains centrally contracted to his national team. The top-order batter will instead shift his focus towards T20 cricket, with the English summer comprising two separate tournaments in the Blast and The Hundred.
“After discussions between Zak Crawley, the player group, coaching staff and the ECB, Crawley will be rested for the next two County Championship fixtures. This period will allow him to recharge so he can fully commit and give his all for the remainder of the season, with his immediate focus shifting to T20 cricket through to the end of the Vitality Blast,” Kent Cricket said on their website.
There has been a growing sentiment in the media that, with his Test cricket looking all but over, Crawley will quit red-ball cricket entirely and apply his talent in limited-overs cricket instead. The former opener has played franchise cricket in the past, having featured in the Big Bash League for the Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes, and turning out for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.
It is worth mentioning that Crawley has also experienced captaining a side, having led England’s ODI side against Ireland in 2023.
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