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

Bigger prize money, full broadcast coverage, more teams make this edition a turning point for professional women’s cricket.

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, which began Friday, June 12, is being held across seven venues in England and Wales with 12 teams playing 33 matches and the final set for Lord’s on July 5.
  • The ICC has announced a record prize pool of $8,764,615 with winners paid $2.34 million and group-stage wins earning teams fixed payments, a move designed to increase financial rewards for players and boards.
  • Competition is widely viewed as more open than past editions with Australia still a favorite but England, India and South Africa singled out by analysts as realistic challengers and New Zealand arriving as defending champions.
  • India enter with heightened expectations after winning the 2025 ODI World Cup and will aim to win their first T20 title starting with a high-profile group game against Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston.
  • The expanded format includes debutants and returning qualifiers such as Ireland and the Netherlands, and broad broadcast arrangements—Star Sports on TV and JioHotstar streaming in India—are increasing global visibility and commercial growth for the women’s game.