Following huge success at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, women’s T20 cricket will return at the next edition – in Australia in March 2026. The tournament will take place in the state of Victoria and will feature twenty sports.
“We are delighted to know that women’s cricket will be part of the Commonwealth Games in Victoria,”
Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket, said.
“It will be another significant landmark for the sport after its huge success in recent years, including Birmingham. The continued growth and upward trajectory of both the women’s game and T20 cricket fits perfectly with our long-term ambitions that include being part of the Olympics.
“Women’s cricket has witnessed a sharp upward curve with rising standards and a rapidly increasing fan base. The sight of 86,174 fans in Melbourne for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 still lives strong in our memories and so we just can’t wait for another opportunity to showcase the women’s game, this time in Victoria in 2026.”
Cricket made a return to Commonwealth Games at Birmingham 2022 for the first time in over two decades, after it was last played by the men’s teams in a 50-over format in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. South Africa, led by Shaun Pollock, had won the gold medal then, defeating Steve Waugh’s Australia in the final.
Cricket at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games featured eight teams. Meg Lanning’s Australia bagged the gold medal with a nine-run win over Harmanpreet Kaur-led India in the final. New Zealand defeated hosts England in the bronze medal clash.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from March 17 to 29 across four regional hubs of Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Gippsland.
