ICC launches new global tournament to expand Women’s game worldwide
The ICC has announced the inaugural Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy in Bangkok from November 20-30, building on record World Cup momentum to expand opportunities, visibility and high-performance pathways for emerging women’s cricket nations.
Image: Danie van der Lith / DFA / File
THE WORLD has not even managed to catch its breath following the record-breaking ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, which captivated audiences around the globe, and already the International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the schedule for the inaugural ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy T20I tournament.
It’s worth noting that the ICC seems to be striking while the iron is hot, seeing as the World Cup 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.
On Sunday, it was announced that the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy T20I will be staged in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 20 to 30, 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, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, the 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 timing seems right. Building on the extraordinary impetus provided by the World Cup tournament, 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.
Sanjog Gupta, chief executive of the ICC, said the aim of the tournament is to develop players from around the world.
“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,” said Gupta.
The tournament starts on November 20 and the Final is scheduled for Sunday, November 30. The opening day will feature Thailand against the Netherlands and Papua New Guinea against the UAE.
Schedule of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy
Thursday, November 20
(9.30am) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Thailand vs Netherlands Asian Institute of Technology: PNG vs UAE
(1.45pm) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Scotland vs Uganda Asian Institute of Technology: Namibia vs Tanzania
Friday, November 21
(9.30am) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Thailand vs PNG Asian Institute of Technology: Netherlands vs UAE
(1.45pm) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Uganda vs Namibia Asian Institute of Technology: Scotland vs Tanzania
Saturday, November 22 – Rest day
Sunday, November 23
(9.30am) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Uganda vs PNG Asian Institute of Technology: Tanzania vs Netherlands
(1.45pm) Terdthai Cricket Ground: UAE vs Scotland Asian Institute of Technology: Thailand vs Namibia
Monday, November 24 – Rest day
Tuesday, November 25
(9.30am) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Thailand vs Tanzania Asian Institute of Technology: UAE vs Uganda
(1.45pm) Terdthai Cricket Ground: PNG vs Netherlands Asian Institute of Technology: Namibia vs Scotland
Wednesday, November 26
(9.30am) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Tanzania vs UAE Asian Institute of Technology: Thailand vs Uganda
(1.45pm) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Netherlands vs Namibia Asian Institute of Technology: PNG vs Scotland
Thursday, November 27 – Rest day
Friday, November 28
(AM) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Thailand vs UAE Asian Institute of Technology: Uganda vs Tanzania
(PM) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Scotland vs Netherlands Asian Institute of Technology: Namibia vs PNG
Saturday, November 29 – Rest day
Sunday, November 30
(AM) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Netherlands vs Uganda Asian Institute of Technology: UAE vs Namibia
(PM) Terdthai Cricket Ground: Tanzania vs PNG Asian Institute of Technology: Thailand vs Scotland