For the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council announced a record prize fund of INR 82 crore (USD 8,764,615). The 12-team tournament will be played in England in June-July 2026. The prize fund marks a 10 per cent rise from the previous edition of the tournament, which was played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2024. The last edition of the tournament, won by New Zealand, featured 10 teams, and two more teams will be in action in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup will be played from June 12 to July 5 across seven venues, with the final scheduled for Lord’s Cricket Ground. The prize money for the 2024 competition stood at USD 7,958,077 (approximately INR 74 crore). The organisers on Monday announced that it will now rise to USD 8,764,615 (around INR 82 crore).
The winners of the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup will take home USD 2,340,000 (INR 21.8 crore approx), while the runners-up will get USD 1,170,000 (INR 10 crore approx). The losing semi-finalists will earn USD 675,000 each (INR 6.29 crore), while each group match win will earn teams USD 31,154 (INR 29 lakh).
“All 12 participating teams will earn an assured minimum prize pot of USD 247,500 ( ₹2.06 crore approx),” the ICC said in an official release.
All you need to know about the tournament
The tournament will begin with hosts England taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 12. The 12 teams are divided into two groups of six each. Group A has India, Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa, Pakistan and the Netherlands. Group B has hosts England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Scotland, the West Indies and Ireland. India will begin its campaign against Pakistan on June 14.
The T20 World Cup trophy will also tour the host cities before culminating in London, with Scotland set to be the first stop from May 7 to 10.
“The growth of women’s cricket continues to accelerate, and the expansion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to 12 teams, combined with a record prize pool, underlines our commitment to building a stronger, more competitive global game,” said ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta.
“The continued rise of women’s cricket through increased investment and opportunity reflects the growing influence and impact of female athletes on the global stage. With that same momentum building across every aspect of women’s cricket, this event is shaping up to not only set a host of new attendance and viewing records in the sports and media ecosystems but also leave a lasting impact on the wider socio-cultural landscape across the world,” he added.
