Cricket
India's quest for a maiden Women's T20 World Cup title begins in England - Preview
The 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup is set to start on June 12th in England.
The ODI World Champion Indian women's team is ready for the next challenge. (Photo credit: BCCI Women/Twitter)
India will once again chase a long-awaited first ICC Women's T20 World Cup crown when the 10th edition of the tournament gets underway in England & Wales on June 12.
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India arrived with renewed optimism after showing encouraging signs in recent months and will hope to go one step further in a competition that has repeatedly brought both memorable highs and heartbreaking near misses.
The 2026 edition marks a significant milestone for the tournament. England, which hosted the inaugural Women's T20 World Cup in 2009, will once again welcome the world's best teams as 12 nations compete for the title.
The competition featured eight teams until 2012 before expanding to 10 teams in 2014, while the Netherlands will make their tournament debuts this year.
Over the coming weeks, teams will battle across seven venues before the tournament reaches its climax at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London, where the champions will lift the trophy on July 5.
Held every two years, the Women's T20 World Cup has largely been dominated by Australia, who have won six titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023). England (2009), West Indies (2016) and defending champions New Zealand (2024) are the only other teams to have lifted the trophy.
Venues
The matches will be played across seven venues:
- Lord's, London
- The Oval, London
- Old Trafford, Manchester
- Edgbaston, Birmingham
- Hampshire Bowl, Southampton
- Headingley, Leeds
- Bristol County Ground, Bristol
Tournament format
The tournament will follow a 20-over format.
The 12 teams have been divided into two groups of six, with each team playing every other team in its group once.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
Teams
Group A: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa
Group B: England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Sri Lanka, West Indies
Can India end their title wait?
India find themselves in a challenging Group A, where Australia and South Africa are expected to be their main rivals in the race for a semi-final spot.
South Africa will also be high in confidence after the recent 4-1 series win against India.
There were encouraging signs during India's recent series against England despite a 2-1 defeat. Yastika Bhatia marked her return from a lengthy injury layoff with a match-winning half-century, while Nandani Sharma impressed with the ball during her debut international series.
India will likely need strong performances in their key fixtures against Australia and South Africa if they are to finish in the top two and secure qualification for the semi-finals.
The team also has a mixed history in ICC tournaments held in England. India's best performance in an ICC women's event in the country came at the 2017 Women's ODI World Cup, where they reached the final before narrowly losing to the hosts. Earlier, at the inaugural 2009 Women's T20 World Cup, India reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by New Zealand.
Their campaign begins with one of the most anticipated fixtures of the tournament when they face Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 14.
India's squad and key players
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav.
The team will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, who will be leading India for the fifth time at the tournament.
The batting line-up will feature key players such as Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, while the bowling responsibilities will largely rest on Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh and Nandni Sharma.
India's schedule
June 14: vs Pakistan, Edgbaston
June 17: vs Netherlands, Leeds
June 21: vs South Africa, Manchester
June 25: vs Bangladesh, Manchester
June 28: vs Australia, Lord's
Where to watch?
Fans in India can watch all matches live on the Star Sports Network. Live streaming of the tournament will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.