ICC Womens Champions Trophy Shifted to India

The inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy that was scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka next year has been shifted to India. The International Cricket Council earlier had removed Sri Lanka as the host nation because of government interference in the cricket board, SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket).

Tournament from 14-28 February in Mumbai, Vadodara

The tournament, which involves six teams, is slated to be played from 14 to 28 February. The matches will be played at two venues-- the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara.

Why did ICC remove Sri Lanka as host nation?

The ICC, in its official statement announcing India as the host nation of the tournament, said that the SLC was working on reforms. "Sri Lanka Cricket continues to make the requisite reforms outlined at the ICC’s Annual Conference in July," a part of their statement read.

Days ago, it was reported that the SLC lost the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy. The reason for this is that SLC was being administered by a Sri Lanka government-appointed Transformation Committee, which was to supervise the changes in their cricket board.

However, the ICC does not allow political interference in cricket administrations. SLC members were also barred from attending ICC board meetings.

ICC Women's Champions Trophy qualification and format

The six teams- India, South Africa, England, Australia, England and New Zealand qualified for the tournament based on the ICC Women's T20I team rankings until 6 July, which was the cutoff date for qualification.

India women's cricket team players celebrate a wicket (Credits: AFP)

Pakistan were the eighth-placed team on the cutoff date and hence, they did not qualify. The tournament will be played in a round-robin format. The top two teams will play the final on 28 February.

'Exciting new chapter for women's cricket'

ICC chairman Jay Shah said that the tournament would mark a new era in women's cricket. "The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 marks an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket," he stated in ICC's official statement.

“This will provide more incentive for teams to move up in the rankings and make a mark on the global stage. Having a major ICC women's tournament every year will provide a significant opportunity to build momentum, consistency, and a strong rhythm for women's cricket, its players, and fans around the world,” he added.

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