ICC reveals host country for 2026 Women's T20 World Cup qualifier

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that Nepal will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier. The tournament will take place from January 12 to February 2, 2026.

This global qualifier will feature 10 teams competing for the final four spots in the main event, which is scheduled to be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5, 2026.

The main tournament will include 33 matches across 24 days, with games played at seven famous venues, including Old Trafford, Headingley, Hampshire Bowl, and Bristol County Ground. The final will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

For the qualifier in Nepal, the teams will be divided into two groups of five. After the group stage, the top sides will move to a Super Six round, followed by a final. The match schedule for the qualifier will be announced later.

Bangladesh and Ireland have already secured places in the qualifier due to their participation in the 2024 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Nepal and Thailand qualified through the Asia regional pathway, while the USA made it via the Americas region.

The remaining five spots will be filled through upcoming regional qualifiers — two each from Africa and Europe, and one from the East Asia-Pacific region.

Earlier, the ICC also confirmed the groupings and venues for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup:

Group A includes defending champions Australia, 2024 finalists South Africa, India, Pakistan, and two teams from the global qualifier.

Group B consists of host nation England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and two qualifying teams.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, which are scheduled for June 30 and July 2 at The Oval. The final will take place on July 5 at Lord’s.