Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday unveiled a record prize pool of approximately Rs 82 crore for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales in two months.The overall prize money has seen a 10 per cent rise compared to the previous edition. The 2026 tournament will also expand to 12 teams – up from 10 in 2024 – and is scheduled to run from June 12 to July 5 across seven venues, with the final set to take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground.In comparison, the last edition in the UAE had a total prize purse of USD 7,958,077 (around Rs 74 crore). This year’s figure has increased to USD 8,764,615 (roughly Rs 82 crore), reflecting the 10 per cent jump.As for the rewards, the champions will receive USD 2.34 million (about Rs 21.8 crore), while the runners-up will earn USD 1.17 million (around Rs 10 crore). Teams losing in the semi-finals will take home USD 675,000 (approximately Rs 6.29 crore), and each group-stage win will be worth USD 31,154 (close to Rs 29 lakh).“All 12 participating teams will earn an assured minimum prize pot of USD 247,500 (Rs 2.06 crore approx),” said ICC in a release.The tournament will get underway with hosts England taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 12.The other teams in the fray are Australia, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa and the West Indies, with the 33-match event set to be played over 24 days.Meanwhile, the T20 World Cup trophy will tour the host cities before culminating in London, with Scotland set to be the first stop from May 7 to 10.“The growth of women’s cricket continues to accelerate, and the expansion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to 12 teams, combined with a record prize pool, underlines our commitment to building a stronger, more competitive global game,” said ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta.
