The inaugural six-team Women’s Champions Trophy has shifted from Sri Lanka to India, to be played in Mumbai and Vadodara from February 14 to 28 in 2027. Despite losing hosting rights due to governance issues, Sri Lanka will still be a part of the tournament, having qualified in the top six of the T20I rankings on the July 6 qualification cut-off date. The other teams comprise Australia, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.
India Recommended as Replacement HostÂ
According to a media release, the ICC assessed three potential candidates – Bangladesh, India, and South Africa – against its established host evaluation criteria before recommending India as the replacement host on Wednesday. India will thus host the first-ever Women’s Champions Trophy at The Brabourne Stadium and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium.
The Brabourne Stadium hasn’t hosted an international game since December 2022, when India women hosted Australia women for a T20I series. The stadium also, however, has the fortunate distinction of having hosted the first-ever season of the WPL in 2023, and also a few matches in 2025. Vadodara, meanwhile, has hosted WPL matches in 2025 as well as 2026.
Sri Lanka Loses Out on Hosting Rights
The Champions Trophy was supposed to be Sri Lanka’s second ICC event as hosts in two years, after they co-hosted the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup alongside India. It will be a golden opportunity for Women in Blue to continue their 50-over success in the Champions Trophy. It will be crucial how Women in Blue handle the pressure in the short tournament, as anything can happen on match day. The six participating teams will compete in a round-robin league, with the top two sides advancing to the final on February 28.
Also Read: ICC CT 2027: ICC Strips Sri Lanka of 2027 Champions Trophy