Draft:2028 Women's T20 World Cup
Women's Cricket tournament in Pakistan
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The 2028 ICC Women's T20 World Cup is scheduled to be the eleventh edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, a biennial international Twenty20 International (T20I) tournament organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC).[1] The tournament will be hosted by Pakistan, marking the first time the nation will host a standalone global women's cricket event.[2]
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|  |
PakistanNeutral venue to be announced for India matches
| Administrator | International Cricket Council |
|---|---|
| Cricket format | Twenty20 International |
| Tournament format(s) | Group stage and knockout |
| Host(s) | Pakistan Neutral venue to be announced for India matches |
| Participants | 12 |
Following logistical and political frameworks approved during the ICC Board meetings in June 2026, the event will officially utilize a hybrid hosting model.[3] Under this setup, all matches involving the India women's national cricket team will take place at a neutral venue outside of Pakistan due to ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The tournament will feature an expanded field of 12 teams, continuing the format established in the preceding 2026 edition.
Host selection and background
The ICC Board officially awarded the tournament's hosting rights to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). While Pakistan has previously hosted bilateral women's series and men's multi-nation tournaments, this event marks the largest international women's sporting tournament allocated to the country.
Hybrid hosting framework
Because the Government of India maintains a policy that prohibits its national sporting teams from traveling to Pakistan, the ICC proactively implemented a hybrid model for the competition.
- Primary Host: Pakistan will host the vast majority of the tournament fixtures, including group-stage matches, opening ceremonies, and select knockout games.
- Neutral Venue: All matches featuring India, along with any subsequent knockout matches they qualify for, will be played at a designated secondary location to ensure the safe participation of all nations.
Format
The 12 qualified teams will be split into two groups of six. The tournament will follow a single round-robin format within each group, where the top two teams from Group A and Group B will advance to the knockout stage. The knockout phase will consist of two semi-finals and a final match.
Qualification
The qualification pathway for the 12 available slots was finalized by the ICC Board in June 2026:[3]
- Automatic qualification (10 teams): Pakistan automatically qualifies as the designated host nation. They are joined by the top eight performing teams from the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. The remaining automatic spot(s) will be awarded to the highest-ranked teams on the official ICC Women's T20I Team Rankings at a specified cut-off date who have not already qualified.
- Global Qualifier (2 teams): The final two spots will be determined via a 10-team ICC Global Qualifier tournament, which will feature teams advancing through various regional qualifiers spanning Africa, the Americas, Asia, East Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
Venues
The PCB has outlined plans to utilize its premier international stadiums, which feature modern seating capacities, floodlights, and advanced broadcasting infrastructure.
Pakistan
The primary matches in Pakistan are proposed to take place across three major hubs:
| Lahore | Karachi | Rawalpindi |
|---|---|---|
| Gaddafi Stadium | National Bank Stadium | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium |
| Capacity: 27,000 | Capacity: 34,228 | Capacity: 15,000 |
 |
Neutral venues under consideration
While the ICC has officially approved the hybrid format to accommodate India's fixtures, the exact neutral stadium has not yet been locked in. The leading destinations currently under evaluation include:
- United Arab Emirates: The Dubai International Cricket Stadium and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium are considered the most probable logistical choices due to geographic proximity and past tournament hosting experience.
- Sri Lanka: The Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla is being evaluated as a strong secondary option within South Asia.
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