The recently wrapped-up 2026 ICC Women’s T20I Challenge Trophy saw five nations—the United States of America (USA) Women, Rwanda Women, Nepal Women, Italy Women, and Vanuatu Women—battling it out for the inaugural title. The competition, which took place in Kigali’s Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, was a crucial venue for developing cricket nations to display their skills on a worldwide scale. Fans saw 20 high-stakes games throughout the tournament, when every run and wicket counted in the competition for the title.
With an outstanding six victories from their eight games, the USA Women emerged as the dominant force and won the trophy by placing first in the rankings. Despite a heartbreaking one-run loss to the hosts, Rwanda, the Americans recovered brilliantly to win 13 points and the championship. After a fierce battle throughout the round-robin stages, Rwanda Women and Nepal Women came in second and third, respectively. This first edition demonstrated the increasing depth and competitiveness of the women’s game, making it a noteworthy milestone for Associate Member cricket.
USA Women’s Cricket Team
With 13 points and an outstanding net run rate of +2.353, the USA Women finished as the top team in the competition. They won six of their eight games, with steady domination all around.
Chetna Pagydyala, who finished as the tournament’s top run scorer with 261 runs at an average of 37.28 over 8 innings, anchored the American batting order. In addition to playing a pivotal role against Vanuatu by scoring 53 runs to win Player of the Match, her outstanding effort was an undefeated 81*. With ten wickets from seven innings, Sainavi Kambalapalli spearheaded the attack when it came to bowling. Her most effective spell came against Italy, where she claimed 3 wickets for 9 runs, while maintaining a neat economy of 3.55.
Rwanda Women’s Cricket Team
Rwanda Women, who played at home, earned nine points from their eight games to finish a respectable second in the standings. Notably, they gave the USA, the tournament’s winners, their lone, one-run loss.
With 124 runs in 7 innings, Merville Uwase was the main contributor with the bat. A brilliant 60-run knock against Vanuatu, which helped her team secure a close 3-run victory, was her tournament high point. Henriette Ishimwe led the bowling department, taking nine wickets at an economy of 4.65 in eight innings. A controlled 3-wicket haul for 20 runs during a challenging match against Nepal was her best performance.
Nepal Women’s Cricket Team
Nepal Women had a strong performance, earning 8 points from 7 games to place third. Throughout the competition, they demonstrated remarkable fortitude, including an exciting 2-wicket victory over Rwanda.
With a strike rate of 111.76 and 152 runs in 7 innings, Samjhana Khadka spearheaded Nepal’s batting attack. She was the tournament’s highest scorer with 52 and scored one half-century. Kabita Kunwar was a particularly deadly bowler who claimed 14 wickets in just 7 innings. With an incredible 6 wickets for just 5 runs against Vanuatu, she achieved the best bowling figures of the competition.
Italy Women’s Cricket Team
With three victories and six points from their seven games, Italy Women finished their campaign in fourth position. They experienced numerous difficult defeats, but they also achieved some noteworthy wins, such as an 8-run victory over Vanuatu utilizing the DLS system.
With 141 runs in 7 innings, Alexia Kontopirakis was the Italian team’s most productive batter. Against the USA, she had her maximum score of 49 at a strike rate of 87.5. With nine wickets in seven innings, Chathurika Mahamalage was the best bowler. She tore through the lineup to take four wickets for twenty-four runs against the USA, which stands out as her most memorable performance.
Vanuatu Women’s Cricket Team
Vanuatu Women finished in fifth position at the bottom of the standings after struggling to gain momentum in the competition. They did achieve one victory, defeating Nepal by 22 runs, despite a challenging campaign.
A bright spot for their batting was Valenta Langiatu, who scored 230 runs in 8 innings. With an undefeated 71*, she had the second-highest run total in the competition. Vanessa Vira was the tournament’s top bowler, with 15 wickets in 8 innings. Against the USA, she bowled with exceptional control and achieved her best stats of 3 wickets for 8 runs.