Get all the latest team news ahead of the 2026 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup in England
The tenth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be the biggest in the tournament’s history with an expanded 12 teams to battle it out for the ultimate prize from June 12 to July 5.
Netherlands will make their women’s T20 World Cup debut at the 2026 tournament in England after securing their place alongside Bangladesh with dominant performances at the qualifiers in Nepal earlier this year. It will be the Dutch side’s first appearance at a women’s cricket World Cup since 2000 when they last qualified for the 50-over event.
The tournament has been expanded to 12 teams for the 2026 edition, up from 10, which have been split into two groups of six.
Hosts England will play Sri Lanka to kick of the tournament on June 12, the first of 33 games in 24 days, which concludes with the final at Lord’s on July 5. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals to be played at The Oval, with the two winners to face off for the title.
Australia, who will be seeking a seventh women’s T20 World Cup triumph, have been placed in Group 1 alongside South Africa, India, Pakistan and two qualifiers, Bangladesh and Netherlands.
A mouthwatering showdown between Australia and India at Lord’s beckons on June 28 to round out group stage matches.
Defending champions New Zealand meanwhile have been drawn in Group 2 alongside England, 2024 semi-finalists West Indies, Sri Lanka and European nations Ireland and Scotland, who also earned their spot via this year’s qualifying tournament.
The six-time champions are yet to announce their squad, but new captain Sophie Molineux will lead Australia at her first ICC event following Alyssa Healy’s retirement last summer. Molineux secured her first series victory as skipper against West Indies in March after going down to India 2-1 at home in her first series at the helm.
National selector Shawn Flegler said Molineux was on track to be fully fit for the T20 World Cup after playing as a specialist batter during the Caribbean tour. The left-arm spin-bowling allrounder didn’t bowl in the three T20s and sole ODI she played against West Indies and sat out the final two 50-over matches completely as Australia swept both series 3-0. Molineux hasn’t bowled since hurting her back against India in February with getting her body right to play as an allrounder in the T20 World Cup the priority.
Australia face a significant selection squeeze in the spin department with their skipper fully fit given leggie Alana King has mounted a strong case for a regular spot in the T20 side, taking five wickets against the Windies in her first internationals in the format in almost a year.
Powerful spin-bowling allrounders Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham are also set to be included in their 15-player World Cup squad that Flegler said would be finalised before the group reconvenes for a training camp in Brisbane in early May. Rising left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton is also pushing for inclusion after the 19-yeaqr-old made her international debut in all three formats in the space of 23 days in March.