The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Wednesday that India will host the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy from 14 to 28 February 2027. The ICC relocated the marquee event from Sri Lanka because the island nation faces severe governance concerns and political interference in its cricket administration.
Organisers will stage the entire six-team tournament across two venues in India: the Brabourne Stadium at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara. The ICC Board approved the change on 1 September 2026 after evaluating multiple potential host nations. This tournament introduces a major new annual fixture to the international women’s cricket calendar.
Selection of Venues and Replacement Host
The ICC evaluated three candidate nations—Bangladesh, India, and South Africa—against its established host evaluation criteria before selecting India. The ICC Board officially ratified India’s replacement bid on 1 September 2026.
Two specific cricket grounds in India will host all the matches during the competition. First, the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara will serve as the second tournament venue. These venues will provide the stage for the top six teams in the world.
Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka will contest the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in India next February 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ORQ5dApPWy
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 2, 2026
Sri Lanka Loses Hosting Rights Over Governance Concerns
The ICC stripped the hosting rights away from Sri Lanka because of political interference in Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). SLC is currently run by a Transformation Committee appointed by the government. The committee is responsible for overseeing reforms to the constitution and governance structure of the board. But, ICC policy prohibits interim governments appointed for political reasons.
The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, scheduled for February 2027, will be moved out of Sri Lanka, with SLC set to be stripped of hosting rights.
Cricinfo has confirmed that the six-team event will be played in a different country in the same window – likely to be India
Full… pic.twitter.com/z6WeqOYn0N
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 30, 2026
This decision marks the second time in recent years that Sri Lanka has lost a major tournament due to administrative issues. The ICC previously moved the 2024 Under-19 Men’s World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa for similar reasons.
The ICC noted that SLC continues to implement required reforms. These guidelines emerged from the ICC Annual Conference in July. Despite these ongoing reform efforts, the governing body decided a venue change was necessary to ensure the smooth delivery of the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy.
Official Statements on the Event
The ICC hopes the new annual tournament will boost global interest in the women’s game. ICC Chairman Jay Shah welcomed the announcement and said he was looking forward to the future of the sport. “The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 is an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket,” he said.
“The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 marks an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket. 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…
— IANS (@ians_india) September 2, 2026
“As the inaugural edition of the tournament, it will bring together the best teams in the world in an intense, high-quality competition,” Shah said. He added that the event creates a strong incentive for teams to rise through the rankings and compete on the global stage.
Shah also emphasised the broader impact of the tournament on fans and players worldwide. He noted that a marquee ICC women’s event will now take place every year. This schedule provides a significant opportunity to build greater momentum, offer consistency, and create a stronger rhythm for the women’s game, its players, and its fans around the world.
The ICC will release the detailed match schedules and specific fixtures at a later date.
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