The highly anticipated ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier is set to begin in Nepal on 18 January 2026 and will run till 1 February 2026. The tournament serves as the pathway to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 set to be held in England and Wales in June 2026.
The matches are set to be held across two venues in Kathmandu, Kirtipur and Mulpani.
The ten teams will compete in two groups of five teams in a round-robin format with the top three teams from each group advancing to the super six. Scotland, Netherlands, Thailand, Namibia and PNG were part of the ICC Emerging Nations Trophy that saw Scotland, Thailand and The Netherlands all finishing on 10 points, promising us an unpredictable and exciting tournament ahead.
The super six will be played between 28 January and 1 February with the top three teams from Group A and B playing three matches each against the teams from the other group in a thrilling affair, carrying forward their points from the initial group stage.
Scotland will enter the tournament in great touch, despite a disappointing end to the ICC Emerging Nations Trophy that saw them finish fourth due to net run-rate, losing twice successively when they were one win away from the title, they showed their undeniable ability to compete in ICC competitions winning their first five games on the trot. The Scottish unit also won the Quad Cup in the tournament preceding the Emerging Nations Trophy beating the winners, Thailand in that competition, the squad will be boosted by the return of their captain Kathryn Bryce.
The Netherlands concluded the Emerging Nations Trophy on a strong note, highlighted by a commanding victory over the previously unbeaten Scotland. Despite being overlooked after the early stages of the tournament, they demonstrated their ability to challenge any opponent on any given day. The team ultimately finished on 10 points, level with the eventual champions, missing out on the title only on net run rate. Netherlands qualified to the Global Qualifier through a strong performance in the European Regional Qualifiers winning four out of their six games and will aim to carry that momentum into this competition. Former captain, Heather Siegers is permitted to take part in the tournament by her employer and will be returning to the squad after previously stepping away from International cricket, in what will be a priceless boost to the Dutch squad.
Ireland will be optimistic about their chances to qualify for the marquee tournament after missing out on the last edition in heartbreaking fashion losing out to Scotland in the playoffs, they enter this edition stronger than ever, winning every single game in the European Regional Qualifiers with strong performances from key players. Prior to the tournament in Nepal they toured the World Cup runners-up South Africa in a series that helped them get together as a group and build fitness heading into this competition while playing in some of the most challenging overseas conditions cricket has to offer.
Thailand and Nepal qualified for the tournament through the Asian Qualifiers, Thailand having just won the ICC Emerging Nations Trophy on home soil after beating Scotland in 11.4 overs to secure their net run-rate will look to play with the fearlessness they showed enroute the cup. Hosts Nepal caused the biggest pre-tournament upset, getting through the Asian qualifiers instead of the mighty UAE who many would have touted as favourites.
Bangladesh see their team reunite for the first time since the ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka where they secured a historic victory against Pakistan, but failed to win a single other fixture which saw them finish second last. The Bangladesh squads undeniable quality granted them direct qualification to the Global Qualifier through previous performances, despite the lack of cricket in recent months, they remain one of the tournament favourites.
Papua New Guinea entered the competition through their dominant performances in the East-Asia Pacific qualifier cruising past Vanuatu in the final, PNG showed competitive performances in the Emerging Nations Trophy including a win against the Netherlands.
The United States of America qualified by the slimmest of margins, the Americas regional qualifying was nothing short of a thriller with Canada beating the USA in the opening fixture then falling short against Argentina by one run which allowed the USA to secure their berth at the competition. The senior women's team for the USA last played a competitive fixture in June 2025 when they toured Netherlands for a five match series which they lost 4-0, despite the odds being stacked against them the young and exciting USA team can never be ruled out of any competition and they showed their quality by beating Scotland in the warm up fixture
Zimbabwe and Namibia qualified for the tournament through the regional qualifiers in Africa where Zimbabwe enjoyed a flawless run and won every single game including the finals against Namibia. Zimbabwe will now get the chance to beat the ghosts of the past, having never beaten a fellow full member nation in a competitive T20I match, Namibia did not impress in the Emerging Nations Trophy finishing joint bottom with one win in seven games which came against Uganda. Namibia and Zimbabwe will have to rewrite the history books should they want to find their place at the marquee event in England and Wales.
