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Women’s T20 World Cup Kicks Off in England and Wales With Expanded 12-Team Field

Tournament expansion to 12 teams, a record prize fund along with wider TV distribution raise the profile and pressure on sides vying for the title.

The Women's T20 World Cup begins today - here's how each team stack up ahead of the edition.
Team captains for each team pose together with the trophy in front of a London cityscape ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 cricket.
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The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 starts on Friday, June 12. Here’s what the WT20I team rankings look like ahead of the marquee event.

Overview

  • The tournament began Friday at Edgbaston with hosts England playing Sri Lanka and will run through July 5 with the final scheduled at Lord’s.
  • India, fresh from their 2025 ODI title, open against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday and captain Harmanpreet Kaur has pledged a ‘fearless’ approach ahead of the match.
  • The 12 teams are split into two groups of six with each side playing five group matches and the top two from each group advancing to semi-finals on June 30 and July 2.
  • Organisers have introduced a record $8.76 million prize pool and expanded broadcast plans across ICC.tv, YouTube and major rights partners to boost visibility and commercial returns.
  • Australia remain the tournament favourites but coverage stresses increased competitiveness from India, England, New Zealand and South Africa as the expanded format creates more opportunity for upsets.