The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a record-breaking prize pool of $8.8 million for the upcoming Women’s Twenty20 World Cup, marking a significant milestone in the growth of women’s cricket worldwide. The tournament will see the winning team earn $2.3 million, making it one of the most lucrative events in the history of the women’s game.
The 12-team global competition is scheduled to take place in England and Wales starting June 12. New Zealand will enter the tournament as defending champions, having claimed their maiden title in the previous edition held in 2024.
According to the ICC, the runners-up will receive $1.17 million, while both losing semi-finalists will earn $675,000 each. In addition, every participating team is guaranteed a minimum prize of $248,000, ensuring financial support even for teams that exit in the early stages of the tournament.
Although the prize pool is a major step forward for women’s cricket, it remains lower than some recent ICC men’s and women’s tournaments. For comparison, the previous Women’s 50-over World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka featured a record $13.9 million prize pool, which was the highest ever for an ICC event and represented a 297% increase compared to the 2022 edition. In that tournament, India emerged as champions and earned $4.5 million in prize money.
On the men’s side, the 2023 ODI World Cup in India carried a prize pool of $10 million, while the most recent Men’s T20 World Cup, hosted in India and Sri Lanka, offered $11.25 million in total prize money. These figures highlight the ongoing gap between men’s and women’s cricket, even as investment in the women’s game continues to grow.
ICC officials have emphasized that the increasing financial rewards reflect the rising popularity, competitiveness, and global appeal of women’s cricket. ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta noted that the expansion of prize money demonstrates the sport’s rapid development and the growing influence of female athletes on the international stage.
He further stated that continued investment and opportunities are essential for sustaining this progress and ensuring that women’s cricket continues to expand in both reach and quality.
Overall, the announcement of the $8.8 million prize pool represents another important step in the evolution of the Women’s T20 World Cup, highlighting both progress made and the potential for further growth in the years ahead.
