ICC confirms India as new host for inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy

The ICC has confirmed India as the new host of the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, which was originally scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka. The tournament will take place from February 14 to 28, 2027.

Cricbuzz had earlier reported that the tournament has been moved out of Sri Lanka due to government interference.

The tournament will now be held at two venues in India: The Cricket Club of India, Mumbai (Brabourne Stadium) and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara.

According to an ICC statement, three venues were assessed – Bangladesh, South Africa and India – with India being ratified by the ICC board on September 1.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is currently run by a government-appointed Transformation Committee tasked with overseeing reforms, including changes to its constitutional and governance structure. As per ICC’s policy, politically-appointed interim administration isn’t allowed.

Earlier, Sri Lanka also lost hosting rights for the 2024 U19 World Cup, which had to be moved to South Africa. As per the ICC's statement, Sri Lanka Cricket “continues to make requisite reforms” as outlined at the ICC Annual Conference in July.

The teams set to participate in the event are England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and India. It will be played in a round-robin structure, with the final set to take place on February 28.

In a statement, ICC chairman Jay Shah said: “The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 marks an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket.

“As the inaugural edition of the tournament, it will bring together the best teams in the world in an intense, high-quality competition, while creating even greater incentive for teams to continue rising through the rankings and competing for a place on the global stage.

“With a marquee ICC women’s event now taking place every year, we have a significant opportunity to build greater momentum, provide more consistency and create a stronger rhythm for the women’s game, its players and its fans around the world."

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