The Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is set to kick off in a few hours from now, as 12 teams will vie for the coveted showpiece. The tournament has been expanded to include 12 teams for the first time, with 33 matches scheduled to take place across seven venues in England from June 12 onwards.
The teams are placed in two groups of six each. 2020 finalists, India, are placed in Group A alongside six-time champions Australia, current two-time runners-up South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. The second group features defending champions New Zealand, 2009 champions England, 2016 winners West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland and Scotland.ย
England, Sri Lanka to kick off tournament
Hosts England will kick off the tournament against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Birmingham. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said that she is ready to throw her team under pressure of a home World Cup and sees it as a ‘privilege’. “There’s extra pressure from everywhere,” Sciver-Brunt told reporters at Edgbaston on tournament eve. “Being the host nation, the first home World Cup for me leading, the Lionesses and the Red Roses doing such a brilliant job in their tournaments, the state of women’s cricket, the list goes on in terms of where you could add up the pressure.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu knows that her team is coming into the tournament with the ‘underdog’ tag but will look ‘make history’. “We are coming in with the underdog tag because we need to earn something. But I know England have a little bit of pressure because they are playing in their home conditions and first game and a lot of expectation. We don’t have that kind of pressure, so we just need to play our fearless cricket and if we can play our best cricket tomorrow, I know we can change and we can make history.”
Where to watch the Women’s T20 World Cup in India?
Star Sports Network is the destination for watching the Women’s T20 World Cup on television in India. All the matches will be broadcast live on its channels. For live streaming, fans can switch to the JioHotstar. There will also be an opening ceremony ahead of the start of the tournament, which will also be available on these two platforms.
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