The inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy will be played in Sri Lanka from February 14 to 28, 2027, earlier from its original June – July 2027 window. It will feature eight teams and will be played in the T20 format. The Women’s Champions Trophy was first announced in 2022 and is expected to become one of the biggest events in women’s cricket.
The decision to prepone the inaugural edition was taken during the ICC Board meeting in Ahmedabad. However, the ICC did not give a reason for changing the dates.
The new schedule affects the New Zealand Women’s tour of Australia. The series is currently planned from February 27 to March 7, which means some matches could overlap with the Champions Trophy. Reportedly, Cricket Australia has already been informed about the change and is now looking at its options.
The Women’s Champions Trophy will bring together some of the top teams in the world and add another major tournament to the women’s cricket calendar.
The ICC has also announced a larger Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy. The 2nd edition of the tournament will now feature 10 teams. Five Full Member nations and five Associate Member nations will take part based on rankings. Last year’s event had eight Associate teams and was won by Thailand.
The bigger tournament will see the emerging teams get the chance to play international cricket and gain experience against stronger opposition. A more competitive, challenging tournament will raise the standard of cricket.
The ICC Board also approved the qualification process for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup. The tournament will be hosted by Pakistan. Under the current hybrid model agreement, India’s matches will be played at a neutral venue.
Ten of the 12 teams will qualify automatically. These will include hosts Pakistan, the top eight teams from the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, and the next highest-ranked team in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings on July 6, 2026.
The final two places will be decided through regional qualifying tournaments followed by a 10-team global qualifier.
These decisions show the ICC’s aim to continue growing women’s cricket around the world. The new Champions Trophy, the expanded Emerging Nations Trophy, and a clear qualification system for the Women’s T20 World Cup will give more teams the chance to compete in major international tournaments.
The new plans are expected to help women’s cricket grow even more in the coming years. They will create more international tournaments, give developing teams more opportunities, and provide players with more chances to compete on the world stage.
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