The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is set to take place in February 2026, alongside dedicated windows for the Hundred in August and the WBBL in November, as outlined in the new Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2025-29. To avoid conflicting schedules with the WPL, Cricket Australia has postponed its women’s marquee summer fixtures from mid-January to February-March.
The 2024-25 women’s Ashes series, starting January 12, will mark the last international matches Australia hosts in January until 2029. Following the WPL, India will tour Australia for one Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is in January-February 2026.
Expansion Of The ICC Women’s ODI Championship
The ICC Women’s ODI Championship will now feature 11 teams, welcoming Zimbabwe into the fold, joining Bangladesh and Ireland, who were added during the current cycle. With this inclusion, all ICC Full Members, except for Afghanistan (which does not field a women’s team), will participate in the championship. Each team will compete against four countries at home and four away over a three-year cycle. Zimbabwe’s inaugural cycle will include hosting South Africa, the West Indies, Ireland, and Sri Lanka, while touring India, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Also Read: AUS vs PAK: Pat Cummins Shines In Nail-Biting ODI Comeback As Australia Edges Out Pakistan!
India-Pakistan Rivalry In The New FTP
In the new FTP, India and Pakistan will only face each other in world tournaments, eliminating bilateral series from their schedule.
Introduction Of The T20 Champions Trophy
The ICC has announced the T20 Champions Trophy for women, scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka in 2027. This tournament is part of the strategic plan to host at least one women’s global event annually. Featuring six teams and 16 matches, this addition will ensure three major global events within 12 months: the T20 Champions Trophy, the LA Olympics in August 2028, and the T20 World Cup in September 2028.
Increased ICC Women’s Events
The new FTP cycle will include five ICC senior women’s events: two T20 World Cups (2026 and 2028), two ODI World Cups (2025 and 2029), and the T20 Champions Trophy in 2027. The ODI World Cup will expand to 10 teams playing 48 matches starting in 2029, while the T20 World Cup will grow to 12 teams and 33 matches from 2026.
West Indies Return To Test Cricket
In a significant development, the West Indies women’s team will play Test cricket after more than 20 years. They will host Australia for a Test in March 2026 as part of a multi-format series and will face England in another Test at home in April 2027. Additionally, they will play a Test in South Africa in December 2028. The last Test played by West Indies women was in 2003-04 against Pakistan, making this return momentous.
India will also engage in away Tests against Australia and South Africa in 2026 while hosting Australia and England later in the FTP cycle. Following a tour of Australia for its first women’s Test in nearly a decade, South Africa will host Australia for a Test for the first time in March-April 2027. The FTP concludes in 2029 with the ODI World Cup, with the venue yet to be determined.
