29 October: The second ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy will be played from 12 to 25 November in Ajman, UAE, with the field growing from eight to 10 teams and five ICC Full Members taking part for the first time.
Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe join Associate Members the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand and the UAE. Matches will be played at the Karwan Sports and Seven Districts grounds.
Groups and format
The 10 teams are split into two groups of five. The top sides move into a Super Six stage, which is followed by the final.
- Group A: Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Sri Lanka, UAE
- Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Pakistan, Thailand, Zimbabwe
The format was recommended by the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee and confirmed by the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee. India are not among the 10 teams in this edition.
More matches for emerging sides
Gaurav Saxena, the ICC’s General Manager for Events and Cricket Operations, said the larger field would give players tougher and more regular competition.
“The expansion of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy to 10 teams is an important step in providing more meaningful international competition for emerging teams and supporting the continued growth of women’s cricket,” he said.
“Bringing together five Full Members and five Associate Members will create valuable opportunities for players to test themselves against a wider range of opposition and gain experience in a high-performance environment. We look forward to welcoming the participating teams to Ajman for the second edition of the tournament.”
Thailand won the first edition
Thailand won the inaugural tournament on home soil in 2025. They finished level on points with Scotland, the Netherlands and the UAE, and net run rate decided the final standings.
Several players from that event moved up the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings afterwards. For the latest movement in the women’s game, see the most recent ICC women’s ODI rankings update.
