The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 will be staged in India rather than Sri Lanka, the International Cricket Council confirmed this week, after the governing body withdrew hosting rights from Sri Lanka Cricket over concerns about government interference in the board’s affairs.
The inaugural edition of the tournament will run from February 14 to 28, 2027, with matches held at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Gujarat. Notably, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the venue where India lifted the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, does not feature on the list of host grounds for the new competition.
Why the Women’s Champions Trophy Host Change Happened
Sri Lanka had originally been confirmed as the first hosts of the event back in 2022. The switch to India came about because Sri Lanka Cricket has been operating under an interim Transformation Committee installed by the Sri Lankan government to oversee constitutional and administrative changes at the board. The ICC does not recognise government-appointed bodies and has barred Sri Lanka Cricket representatives from attending its board meetings since the committee took charge.
In its statement, the ICC said the tournament had been due to take place in Sri Lanka but would instead be staged in India “as Sri Lanka Cricket continues to make the requisite reforms outlined at the ICC’s Annual Conference in July.” The governing body added that it had assessed Bangladesh and South Africa as alternative hosts alongside India before recommending the switch, a decision that was formally ratified by the ICC Board on September 2.
Despite losing the right to host, Sri Lanka has not been removed from the competition itself and will still take part as one of the six competing nations.
Teams and Format for the Inaugural Tournament
Six teams have qualified for the tournament based on their standing in the ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings as of the July 6 cutoff date: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka. As the reigning T20 World Cup champions, Australia enter the competition as the team to beat, though home advantage is expected to give India a considerable boost.
The tournament will follow a round-robin league format comprising 16 matches, with each side playing the other five once. The top two teams at the end of the group stage will advance to the final, scheduled for February 28, 2027.
What This Means for the Sri Lanka Cricket Governance Crisis
The decision to relocate the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 underlines how seriously the ICC treats political interference in member boards. Sri Lanka Cricket’s administrative troubles have already cost the country a marquee global event, and the governing body has made clear that hosting privileges will remain suspended until the board demonstrates it has restored an independently elected structure in line with ICC governance standards.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah described the inaugural tournament as an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket, noting that it would give national teams greater incentive to climb the rankings and compete on the world stage. Full match schedules and ticketing details for the tournament are expected to be released at a later date.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, September 3rd, 2026
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