ICC announces record prize pool as Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy tour gets underway

Published: 16 April 2026 at 15:43 Reading time: ~ 3 min. Comments: 0

What many expected, but not everyone dared to predict, has happened. ICC announces record prize pool as Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy tour gets underway, officially launching the preparations for the premier women’s tournament of the year. The total prize fund is $8,764,615. This is 10% more than two years ago in the UAE, where $7,958,077 was played out.

ICC announces record prize pool as Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy tour gets underway: who and how much

The winners of the tournament will receive $2,340,000. Finalists – $1,170,000. Those who reach the semifinals will earn $675,000 each. Even just winning a group match will earn the team $31,154.

The best part: each of the 12 participating teams is guaranteed to receive a minimum of $247,500, even if they lose every match. The ICC announces a record prize pool as the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy tour gets underway, and this approach allows athletes to focus on the game rather than worrying about how to earn back the travel expenses. In the past, when 10 teams participated in the tournament, there was no lower limit, but now the situation has changed dramatically.

ICC announces record prize pool as Women's T20 World Cup 2026 trophy tour gets underway: who and how much

ICC announces record prize pool as Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy tour gets underway: tournament expansion

From 2026, the Women’s T20 World Cup will feature 12 national teams instead of 10. Scotland and the Netherlands have received additional places, joining Australia, England, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Yes, it’s easy to get confused, but that’s the beauty of it: more matches, more surprises.

The tournament is scheduled to start on June 12. In the first match, hosts England will face Sri Lanka at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham. In total, 33 matches will be held in seven arenas over 24 days. The final will take place on July 5 at the legendary Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The ICC launched the trophy tour with partner DP World, and they kicked things off with a spectacular gesture: for the first time in history, an image of the trophy was projected onto the famous Lord’s pavilion.

The route then looks like this. First, the trophy will visit the European countries that have qualified for the tournament: Scotland (May 7–10), the Netherlands (May 11–14), and Ireland (May 15–18). Then, it will begin a grand tour of the host cities in England and Wales:

Leeds (19–24 May) – stopping at Millennium Square.
Manchester (25–27 May) – St Peter’s Square.
Birmingham (28–29 May) – Bullring.
Bristol (May 31 – June 1) – Cabot Circus.
Southampton (3–4 June) – Guildhall Square.
London (5–8 June) – Trafalgar Square.

ICC Director General Sanjog Gupta stated: “The growth of women’s cricket is accelerating. The expansion to 12 teams and the record prize pool are not just numbers, but a contribution to creating a stronger and more competitive game worldwide.”

Tournament Director Beth Barrett-Wilde added: “This championship promises to be the most attended women’s cricket event in history. Demand for tickets has broken all records. And yes, the prize pool now matches the men’s tournaments—a fair recognition of the status and quality of women’s cricket.”

In general, the situation is developing in an interesting way. ICC announces record prize pool as Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy tour gets underway. And for the first time in a long time, the Women’s T20 World Cup has a prize fund comparable to the men’s. The tournament is expanding. The trophy travels to iconic places. All that remains is to wait until June 12th to see which of the dozen brave souls will lift the cup at Lord’s in London.