Eng eye WC2026 glory on home soil
This will be the first women's ICC tournament in England since the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2017. Reuters
Excitement is building as the 10th edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup returns to England in 2026.
Prominent cricketing personalities converged at a launch event at Lord's last week to confirm the dates and venues for the global mega-event.
This will be the first women's ICC tournament in England since the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2017.
In that tournament, the hosts managed to overcome India in a thrilling final to win the title.
Like the 2017 World Cup, the 2026 T20 World Cup will also have the final staged at the prestigious Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
England stars Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Ecclestone were among the attendees for the T20 World Cup launch event and the pair recalled the 2017 tournament with much excitement.
'Having watched 2017, there's no other kind of bigger motivation than to want to do it myself and inspire lots of young girls and boys to play cricket themselves,' Dunkley said, when discussing what it would mean to walk out on the pitch for England next year. 'So it would be incredibly special. And yeah, something that you kind of dream of growing up.'
Dunkley was one of those present in the jam-packed stadium during England's afternoon of magic eight years ago, wherein they halted a cruising India, who were 191/3 in pursuit of 229 at one stage, to take the title decider by nine runs.
'In 2017, I was seated in the stand, I think somewhere over there on the right (pointing), and what a great occasion it was,' Dunkley said.
The win bore greater significance since Dunkley was a young cricketer on the verge of her international debut, which she eventually made in 2018.
'I think it was really inspiring for me as a player, kind of coming through the pathways and really wanting to be involved in that team,' she added.
'And it was really special for me to watch that, and then be part of the England team later on that year was something incredible. 'So to have a home World Cup, to have watched it in the crowd and to have a competition like that to look forward to next year is really, really special.'
Ecclestone, the leader in the ICC Women's Bowling Rankings in both white-ball formats, was already an England international when she watched the 2017 final from the stands.
Ecclestone, then just a teenager, recalled fond memories of watching Heather Knight's side claim the final.
'My memories were of the day that I was sat up there watching with (English cricketer) Ellie Threlkeld, actually. I'd just finished school,' Ecclestone said.
'It was great to watch the girls win here.'
Speaking about the upcoming 2026 event, which would be the left-arm spinner's first-ever home World Cup, Ecclestone wanted to soak in the joy of playing at prestigious home venues. 'I feel like I've played World Cups all around the world now, and it's going to be so exciting to play at home, play here at Lord's, play at Old Trafford. I think it's really exciting,' she added. ICC
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