The ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) is a multi-year ODI competition and the primary qualification pathway for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Its fourth edition, running from 2025 to 2029, has expanded to 11 teams, with Zimbabwe joining the established international contenders. The tournament will determine which nations earn direct entry to the 2029 World Cup and which must negotiate the pressure of the global qualifier.
How the Championship Began
The inaugural ICC Women’s Championship was held from April 2014 to November 2016, with Australia emerging as the first champions. The competition quickly became a catalyst for increasing the number of meaningful ODI fixtures in women’s cricket, giving teams a structured schedule and a clear incentive to compete across multiple seasons.
In September 2018, the ICC announced that it was exploring an expansion of the Championship to include all ten leading teams. Bangladesh and Ireland subsequently joined the 2022–25 cycle, based on their ODI rankings. Zimbabwe’s inclusion in the 2025–29 edition has taken the competition to 11 teams and further broadened the international ODI landscape.
The 2025–29 Format
Each team will play one three-match ODI series against eight of the other ten participating teams. Every side will host four series and travel for four away series, meaning that each team will play 24 Championship matches.
Overall, the cycle will consist of 132 ODIs across 44 three-match series. These tours may also include T20Is and other white-ball fixtures, but only the designated ODIs count towards the Championship standings. Sri Lanka’s recent home series against Pakistan illustrates this structure. Led by Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka won the three-match ODI series 2-1 before also securing the three-match T20I series by the same margin between 23 July and 4 August 2026. The T20I results added context and momentum to the tour, but the Championship points came from the ODIs.
The 11 participating teams are India, South Africa, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe. At the conclusion of the cycle, the top seven ranked teams, alongside the 2029 World Cup host or hosts, will qualify automatically. The remaining three teams will enter the World Cup Qualifier.
How Points and Tie-Breakers Work
A team earns two points for a win, while a tie, no result or abandoned match brings one point. A defeat provides no points. If teams finish level, the first tie-breaker is the number of wins, followed by net run rate across all Championship matches. If the teams remain inseparable, points from head-to-head matches and then head-to-head net run rate are considered. If no method produces a distinction, the original seeding will decide the order. Net run rate does not apply to a match recorded as a no result.
How Did the Previous Cycle Pan Out
Australia won the last Championship with 39 points from 24 matches, finishing one win clear of India. Their campaign included tours of Bangladesh, England, Ireland and New Zealand, while India, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies visited Australia.
For the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, the top six teams gained automatic qualification, with hosts Australia and India joined by England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. New Zealand edged Bangladesh on net run rate for the final automatic place, sending Bangladesh, the West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland into the Qualifier. Bangladesh and Pakistan eventually secured World Cup berths through that route.
The Early Race to 2029 (Points Table Standings As of 8th August 2026):
New Zealand currently lead the 2025–29 table with 13 points from nine matches, recording six wins, two defeats and one washout. Sri Lanka are second with 12 points from nine games after six victories and three defeats, while Pakistan occupies third with 10 points from five wins and four losses.
The West Indies have eight points from nine matches. Australia have six points from three wins in three games, level with South Africa, who have six points from six matches. England have three points from three games, Bangladesh two from three, and Ireland remain without a point after three defeats. Zimbabwe are also yet to register a point following six losses, while India have not played a match in the current cycle so far.
The Championship’s importance lies in its long-term pressure: every ODI can influence not only a team’s position, but also its route to the biggest prize in women’s cricket.
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