The ICC has decided to expand the upcoming Women’s ICC Events. In 2021, the ICC announced the expansion of the women’s game on International Women’s Day. Following the success of the 2025 edition, the board reiterated its “commitment to the growth of women’s cricket” in a recent announcement.
Only eight teams have participated in the Women’s ODI World Cup main event since the tournament began in 2000. Ten teams will play 48 games in the 2029 edition, compared to the 31 games in the previous World Cup.
More teams will compete in the Women’s World Cup and Women’s T20 World Cup as a result of the expansion of women’s international cricket competitions throughout the upcoming cycle of games. The next cycle, which starts in 2023 after the men’s World Cup that year and continues until 2031, also includes a third women’s worldwide competition, the Women’s T20 Champions Cup, which on paper appears to resemble the men’s Champions Trophy.
| Women’s Cricket World Cup | ||
| 2029 | 10 Teams | 48 matches |
| Women’s T20 World Cup | ||
| 2026 | 12 Teams | 33 matches |
| 2028 | 12 Teams | 33 matches |
| 2030 | 12 Teams | 33 matches |
| Women’s T20 Champions Cup | ||
| 2027 | 6 Teams | 16 matches |
| 2031 | 6 Teams | 16 matches |
Ten teams will compete in 48 World Cup matches starting in 2029, while twelve teams will compete in 33 T20 World Cup matches starting in 2026. Six teams will compete in 16 games in the Women’s T20 Champions Cup in 2027 and 2031.
Next year’s Women’s T20 World Cup will include 12 teams instead of the 10 that competed in the UAE the previous year.
Also Read: The Future of Cricket? Inside the New Four-Innings Test Twenty Format
ICC Statement on Women’s ICC Events
A new era in the women’s game began with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Final, which established a new record for viewership.
According to JioHotstar, the summit match drew an astounding 185 million users to the app, matching the number of people who watched the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Final.
Considering ICC’s dedication to fair growth, the Board endorsed an approximate 10% rise in fund distribution to its associate members for the year 2026. The increase in funding will allow these nations to invest more in local initiatives, high-performance facilities, and cricket growth in developing areas.
Furthermore, 92 million more people watched the historic match on Connected TV (CTV), matching the CTV viewership numbers from the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup Final and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final.
According to the ICC, nearly 300,000 fans watched the event in stadia, breaking the record for tournament attendance for any women’s Cricket event.
“The tournament also witnessed viewership growth and new records being set for on-screen audiences across the world, with nearly 500 million viewers in India.” – the ICC release said.
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