Your guide to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2026
Here's all you need to know for the upcoming Global Qualifier starting from January 18 in Nepal.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2026 will get underway on January 18 in Nepal, marking the seventh edition of the tournament and the final gateway to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales.
With just four qualification spots on offer, the competition promises high-intensity cricket, where consistency across both the group stage and the Super Six will be crucial to securing a World Cup berth.
Here is everything you need to know about the event.
Format
The tournament will follow a two-stage format comprising a round-robin group stage followed by a Super Six phase.
The 10 teams are divided into two groups of five, with each side playing the others in their group once. The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage.
In the Super Six, teams will face the three teams qualified from the opposite group, meaning each side plays three matches in this phase. For example, a team from Group A will be playing all three teams advancing from Group B.
The top four teams at the end of the Super Six standings will qualify for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Group A: Bangladesh, Ireland, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, USA.
Group B: Nepal, Netherlands, Scotland, Thailand, Zimbabwe.
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Venues
The Qualifier will be hosted entirely in the city of Kathmandu across two venues.
The Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, will serve as the primary venue, hosting 16 matches during the tournament.
The Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground, Kathmandu, will host the remaining 13 matches.
Fixtures
The group stage will feature 20 matches, with four games scheduled per day - two starting at 9:00 AM and two at 1:00 PM local time.
The Super Six stage will be played across three days, with three matches per day. Two matches will begin at 9:00 AM, followed by one afternoon fixture starting at 2:00 PM local time.
A full list of fixtures can be found here.
Squads
All 10 participating teams have announced 15-member squads for the tournament.
The full list of squads for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2026 can be accessed here.