The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced a record prize pool of Rs 82 crore for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup, set to be held in England and Wales in two months. The total purse has been increased by 10 per cent from the previous edition.
The tournament will feature 12 teams, an increase from the 10 countries earlier in 2024. The tournament will start from June 12 and will continue till July 5 across seven key venues in the UK. The finals of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup will be played at Lord's Cricket Ground.
The tournament will get underway with hosts England taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 12. The other teams in the fray are Australia, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa and the West Indies, with the 33-match event set to be played over 24 days.
What Is The Total Increase in the Purse?
The tournament's prize pool has seen a notable boost, rising from USD 7,958,077 (around ₹74 crore) in the previous UAE edition to USD 8,764,615 (approximately ₹82 crore), reflecting a 10% increase for 2024.
The champions are set to receive USD 2,340,000 (about ₹21.8 crore), while the runners-up will earn USD 1,170,000 (roughly ₹10 crore). Teams eliminated in the semi-finals will take home USD 675,000 (around ₹6.29 crore), and each victory in the group stage will fetch USD 31,154 (approximately ₹29 lakh).
"All 12 participating teams will earn an assured minimum prize pot of USD 247,500 (Rs 2.06 crore approx)," said ICC in a press release.
Assessing the development of women's cricket in recent years, ICC CEO said, "The growth of women's cricket continues to accelerate, and the expansion of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup to 12 teams, combined with a record prize pool, underlines our commitment to building a stronger, more competitive global game. "
Trophy Tour Across Major European Cities
Ahead of the first match of the tournament, the ICC has also decided to conduct a trophy tour across major European cities. The Trophy Tour starts in London, where it will be placed in the centre of the square at the venue for the tournament's final and the Home of Cricket, Lord's Cricket Ground.
It will be accompanied by a dazzling projection, which will be the first time in the history of women's cricket. Besides UK, the trophy will also travel to qualified European member nations in the Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland, before embarking on an extensive tour of the tournament's hosting cities through May, building excitement ahead of the tournament's first ball on 12 June.
The ICC Women's T20 World Cup trophy will visit the host cities on the following dates:
- Scotland: 07 to 10 May
- Netherlands: 11 to 14 May
- Ireland: 15 to 18 May
- Leeds: 19 - 24 May
- Manchester: 25 - 27 May
- Birmingham: 28 - 29 May
- Bristol: 31 May - 1 June
- Southampton: 3 - 4 June
- London: 5 - 8 June
