ICC launches new tournament to expand women’s cricket around the world

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the schedule for the inaugural ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy T20I, to be staged in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 20 to 30, 2025, marking another significant stride in the ICC’s global strategy to promote women’s cricket and expand worldwide participation in the sport.

Eight teams - Thailand, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, United Arab Emirates, Scotland, Namibia, Tanzania, and Uganda - will compete across two venues, the Terdthai Cricket Ground and the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok.

The announcement comes on the heels of the record-breaking ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, which captivated audiences around the world. The tournament reached more than 500 million viewers in India and saw significant growth in viewership across countries. The Women’s Cricket Week, an initiative to drive visibility and participation for women’s Cricket, saw more than 40 countries stage events to promote inclusivity in the sport.

Nearly 300,000 fans attended matches across India and Sri Lanka, and the event concluded with India becoming the first Asian team to lift the Women’s Cricket World Cup, a watershed moment in the evolution of the sport and the socio-cultural context of gender roles.

Building on the extraordinary impetus provided by the marquee event, the ICC continues to invest in creating a sustainable future for women’s cricket. The Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy is part of a new three-tier development pathway designed to offer high-performance exposure to emerging nations.

“It is the ICC and the Chair’s vision to sustainably expand Cricket’s footprint across the world and grow the women’s game. Providing elite athletes from emerging nations more opportunities to play at the highest level is aimed at fast-tracking their development and improving the competitiveness of their teams. It also drives the visibility of the sport in participant nations, serving as a driver of girls’ involvement in the sport and inspires women from other nations to stay committed to the development pathways,” Sanjog Gupta, Chief Executive, ICC

The tournament starts on November 20 with the final on November 30. The opening day will feature Thailand against the Netherlands and Papua New Guinea against the UAE.

ICC, Women' Cricket, Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, Bangkok, Thailand