England to host 2026 Women's T20 World Cup

It marks the first time that the tournament has been held in the United Kingdom since the inaugural edition was staged in 2009

England will host the Women's T20 World Cup in 2026, it has been confirmed by the ICC.

It marks the first time that the tournament has been held in the United Kingdom since the inaugural edition was staged in 2009, with England beating New Zealand in the final at Lord's.

Since then, England have hosted the 50-over competition in 2017, which saw the home side beat India in a dramatic final that has been considered by many as a catalyst for the game's growth in the last five years.

"Women's cricket has developed rapidly since then," said Clare Connor, the ECB's interim chief executive, "from the numbers of girls picking up bats through All Stars and Dynamos, joining clubs, and being able to progress on a pathway to the highest levels of performance.

"We're seeing right now the positive impact that the UEFA Women's Euro is having for football, and hosting this global cricket event will give us another incredible opportunity to inspire even more girls to pick up a bat and ball."

^{England last hosted the Women's T20 World Cup in 2009 (Tom Shaw/Getty Images)}

The 2024 edition will take place in Bangladesh, meanwhile, with India to stage the 50-over version in 2025, having last hosted in 2013. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly added that "the sport has undergone tremendous transformation since then".

Sri Lanka have been revealed as the provisional hosts – subject to their qualification – of the inaugural Women's T20 Champions Cup, a six-team competition to be played every four years.

"Hosting this event is also going to give women's cricket in Sri Lanka a global platform to promote the game within the country, the region and also beyond," said the national governing body's chief executive, Ashley de Silva.

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