On International Women’s Day 2021, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that women’s cricket events would be extended after the 2023 cycle.
The announcement comes a year after the resounding success of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, which became the most watched women’s cricket event.
Starting with the 2026 edition, the T20 World Cup will have 12 teams instead of 10, ICC said, adding that ODI World Cup will also be expanded from eight teams to 10 starting 2029.
The new Women’s T20 Champions Cup, which will be held from 2027 onwards, will have six teams, reported NDTV.
Meanwhile, the 2024 T20 World Cup will be played with 10 teams and the next two ODI World Cups will also be played with eight teams.
ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said: “We have been building momentum around the women’s game for the last four years investing in global broadcast coverage and marketing to drive fan engagement…. The results speak for themselves with the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 attracting record numbers, 1.1 billion video views....”
He added that the decision to expand the women’s events lets ICC give greater opportunities to member countries to compete on a global stage.
Sawhney said: “I am sure these initiatives will go a long way in helping us achieve our strategic goal of continuing to build strength and depth in the women's game.”
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