ICC reveals host nation for Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced that Nepal will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier, scheduled from 12 January to 16 February 2026.

The global qualifier will feature ten teams vying for the remaining four spots at the tenth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July 2026.

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

In the Nepal-based Qualifier, the ten teams will be divided into two groups of five, followed by a Super Six stage and a final.

The complete match schedule will be announced later.

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So far, Bangladesh and Ireland have secured their spots in the Qualifier based on their participation in the 2024 edition.

Nepal and Thailand advanced through the Asia regional pathway, while the USA qualified via the Americas.

Five more teams will be determined through upcoming regional qualifiers, two from Africa, two from Europe, and one from the East Asia-Pacific region.

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

• Group A: Australia (defending champions), South Africa (2024 runners-up), India, Pakistan, and two Qualifier teams.
• Group B: England (hosts), New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and two Qualifier teams.

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

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