Women’s T20 World Cup will start with 12 teams, record audience and global broadcast, Jay Shah wishes all the captains

New Delhi .Only a few days are left for the start of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The eyes of the cricket world are fixed on this prestigious tournament, which is being considered as the biggest and grandest edition in the history of women’s cricket till date. Before the start of the tournament, ICC Chairman Jay Shah congratulated all the participating teams and described it as an important milestone in the development of women’s cricket.

There is an atmosphere of excitement among cricket fans around the world about this World Cup to be jointly hosted by England and Wales. For the first time, 12 teams are going to participate in the tournament, due to which both the scope and competition of the competition have become stronger than before. Organizers hope that this time a record number of spectators will reach the stadiums and crores of people globally will enjoy the matches through broadcast.

During the captain’s meeting held before the tournament, Jay Shah wished all the teams and said that this competition will become a platform for new opportunities and new achievements for women’s cricket. He expressed confidence that the teams coming from different parts of the world will raise the level of the game with their performance and inspire young players.

The first match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played on June 12. This will be the tenth edition of the competition and England is hosting it for the first time since 2009. A total of 33 matches will be played in the entire tournament, which will be organized on seven major cricket grounds in England and Wales. These also include some of the most prestigious stadiums of world cricket, where big matches will be hosted.

This time, the host England team will take advantage of the home conditions and enter the field with the aim of winning the title for the second time. Whereas current champion New Zealand will try to successfully defend its title. Australia has so far dominated the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup, having won the trophy a record six times. Apart from this, England, West Indies and New Zealand have also been successful in winning the title.

This time teams like India, Australia, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands will participate in the competition. The special thing is that Netherlands is going to be a part of the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time, which has added new excitement to the tournament.

Each team will play five matches in the group stage. The top two teams from both the groups will advance to the semi-finals, after which the race for the title will become more exciting. The semi-final matches will be played in late June and early July, while the final match will be held on July 5 at the historic Lord’s ground.

The Indian women’s team is also considered among the strong contenders this time. With a balance of experienced and young players, the team will enter the field with hopes of better performance. Cricket experts believe that both the popularity and competition of women’s cricket is continuously increasing and this World Cup will serve to give new heights to that growth journey.