Women’s Cricket Schedule Expands with Dedicated Tournaments
The 2025-29 women’s cricket calendar is packed with exciting updates! The Women’s Premier League (WPL) will now run in January-February starting 2026, while the Hundred and WBBL get their own windows in August and November, respectively. This change allows fans to enjoy each tournament without overlaps, and it gives players a chance to focus on each event fully.
ICC Women’s Championship Adds New Team
The ICC Women’s Championship has expanded to 11 teams, with Zimbabwe joining for the first time. This addition allows for more competition and diversity in women’s cricket. Over this four-year cycle, each team will play four home and four away series. For example, Zimbabwe will face South Africa, West Indies, Ireland, and Sri Lanka at home, and will tour India, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
As per tradition, India and Pakistan will only meet in ICC tournaments, continuing their policy of not playing bilateral series.
New T20 Champions Trophy Introduced
The ICC has introduced a new tournament – the Women’s T20 Champions Trophy. Scheduled for 2027 in Sri Lanka, this event will feature six teams and a total of 16 matches. With the Champions Trophy, the women’s cricket calendar now has at least one major event each year, including the LA Olympics and the T20 World Cup in 2028.
More Women’s ICC Events Ahead
In the new schedule, ICC senior women’s events will expand:
- Two T20 World Cups – 2026 and 2028, with an expanded lineup of 12 teams.
- Two ODI World Cups – 2025 and 2029, with the format extended to 10 teams from 2029.
- The new T20 Champions Trophy – 2027 in Sri Lanka.
West Indies Returns to Women’s Test Cricket
After a 20-year break, the West Indies women’s team is returning to Test cricket. They’ll face Australia in a Test match at home in March 2026, as part of a multi-format series. They’ll also play Tests against England in April 2027 and against South Africa in December 2028. This revival is a great step for West Indies women’s cricket, which last played a Test match back in 2003-04.
Other nations are also adding more Tests to their schedule. India, for example, will tour Australia and South Africa in 2026 for Tests and will host Australia and England later in the cycle.
Key Changes to Look Forward To
- WPL Window: January-February each year, starting in 2026.
- Hundred & WBBL Windows: August and November, respectively.
- T20 Champions Trophy: Scheduled for 2027 in Sri Lanka.
- Expanded World Cups: More teams in both T20 and ODI World Cups by 2029.
- West Indies Test Matches: Multi-format series that bring back the Test format for West Indies.
The new FTP (Future Tours Programme) is set to conclude with the 2029 ODI World Cup, with the host country to be announced.
ICC Women’s Championship 2025-29
The ICC Women’s Championship for the 2025-29 cycle includes 11 teams, with Zimbabwe joining the tournament for the first time. Each team will play four series at home and four series away across this period. Key points:
- Home and Away Matchups: Each team has specified opponents they will face at home and away over the cycle. For instance, Australia will play England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Ireland at home, and will tour India, South Africa, the West Indies, and Sri Lanka.
- Notable Series: Traditional rivals like India and Pakistan will continue to avoid bilateral series, only meeting in ICC tournaments.
Women’s Test Cricket 2025-29
The Women’s Test schedule includes multiple bilateral series with 15 Test matches lined up across the cycle, with some highlights:
- Key Series:
- Australia vs England: The Ashes series will be held in January-February 2025 and again in February-March 2029.
- India vs Australia: Scheduled for February-March 2026 (in Australia) and December 2027-January 2028 (in India).
- West Indies’ Return: West Indies will play their first women’s Test match since 2003-04, hosting Australia in March 2026.
- Multi-format Series: Some series are planned as multi-format, which includes Tests, ODIs, and T20s.
Additional Points from the Future Tours Programme (FTP)
- Dedicated Windows for Franchise Leagues:
- The WPL (Women’s Premier League) will take place from January-February starting in 2026.
- The Hundred will be held in August, and the WBBL (Women’s Big Bash League) in November.
- New T20 Champions Trophy: Introduced as a new addition in the FTP, the T20 Champions Trophy will be held in Sri Lanka in 2027.
- Expansion of ICC Tournaments: The ODI World Cup will expand to 10 teams in 2029, and the T20 World Cup will feature 12 teams starting in 2026.