The International Cricket Council has published all the dates and places for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, and which of the big games will be played throughout England from June 12 to July 5. The tenth tournament will begin with England – the hosts – playing Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, and the final will once more be at Lord’s on July 5th. This tournament will be the biggest in the event’s history, with twelve teams.
Tournament overview
England start the tournament on Friday, June 12th in Birmingham, and will give the tone for a short, and important, group phase. New Zealand – the champions – Australia, with six wins, and England, the very first champions, are the leading teams in a strong group which has been made even better by four teams that have recently qualified. The games will lead to two semi-finals at The Oval on June 30th and July 2nd, before finishing with the final match at Lord’s. Most of the matches are planned for afternoon and evening times in British Summer Time, so that people across the world can watch, and so that lots of people can go to the games.
Groups, how it works, and where the games are
There will be two groups of six teams in the first round, where each team plays all the others, and then two semi-finals and the final. Group A is Australia, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. Group B has England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, and Scotland. Seven places will be used for the games: Edgbaston in Birmingham, Old Trafford in Manchester, Headingley in Leeds, the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, the County Ground in Bristol, and The Oval and Lord’s in London. This mix of famous and modern grounds means good sizes of crowds and easy travel.
Key matches and things happening for the first time
India will play Pakistan in Birmingham on Sunday, June 14th – a very important match early in Group A. Australia will play India at Lord’s on June 28th, which may decide which of the two recent world champions goes through from the group stage. England’s Group B games include a match against the West Indies at Lord’s on June 24th, and a very important game against New Zealand at The Oval on June 27th. England versus Scotland at Headingley on June 20th is a special occasion. It’s the first time the two countries have played each other at an ICC event in England, and makes a developing rivalry even more interesting.
Teams that have qualified and a new team in the competition
Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands all came through the world qualifying tournament in Nepal last month, to complete the teams. Bangladesh qualified without losing a game and start Group A against the Netherlands on June 14th – a very important game for two teams who want to get off to a good start. The Netherlands will be playing in the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time, which shows how the competition is getting wider and deeper. Ireland and Scotland play each other in a game between two European teams at Old Trafford on June 13th, showing how qualifying has made regional matches more exciting.
Important games each week
The first weekend has several interesting games. After England’s first game, Saturday, June 13th has Scotland versus Ireland and Australia versus South Africa in Manchester, and West Indies versus New Zealand in Southampton. Sunday has Bangladesh versus the Netherlands before India versus Pakistan finishes a brilliant first set of games at Edgbaston. Midweek games make the race for the semi-finals more difficult. On June 17th, Headingley has Australia versus Bangladesh and India versus the Netherlands, while South Africa play Pakistan in Birmingham. England play Ireland on June 16th and Scotland on June 20th, making a very important period for the home team. The later group games are in London and Bristol. England play the West Indies at Lord’s on June 24th and New Zealand at The Oval on June 27th. Group A could be decided by South Africa versus Bangladesh and Australia versus India in a double-header at Lord’s on June 28th. The semi-finals are at The Oval on June 30th and July 2nd, and the final is at Lord’s on July 5th.
Who is likely to win, who could challenge, and what the situation is
New Zealand are the current champions and want to show that their great win was not a one-off, and that they are good at all forms of the game. Australia, with six titles, are still the best team, and always play well under pressure. England, the hosts and the first winners in 2009, have the advantage of playing at home, and know the conditions and will have the support of the crowd. India have just won the ODI World Cup, and have a team with famous players and new fast bowlers. South Africa and the West Indies have experience of knockout games and players who can win games with the bat and ball. Sri Lanka’s recent improvement and Bangladesh’s winning run in qualifying make Group dynamics more interesting, and Ireland and Scotland are good enough in T20 to worry the better teams.
How the women’s game is growing and being invested in
Leaders at the ICC said that giving out the schedule was another step in the continued investment in the women’s game. The governing body said that the standards of the event, prize money, how much it was shown in the media, and commercial growth were all important. With a wider range of teams and famous grounds in England, the 2026 tournament is expected to continue the recent increase in the number of people watching the game. Teams are now making their final choices of players, planning warm-up games and looking at what the other teams do. Fans can plan when to watch the games in British Summer Time, and the early games in June are very important. With historic rivalries and a wider range of teams who can compete, the schedule for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 creates a very interesting stage for four weeks of top-class cricket.
