Table of Contents
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Asia Qualifier is set to commence on May 9, marking an important chapter for Asian women’s cricket teams aiming to make their mark on the global stage. Hosted by Thailand, the tournament will begin with the home team facing Kuwait in the inaugural match. Spanning nearly two weeks, the competition will conclude with the final match scheduled for May 20, 2025. This qualifier acts as a vital pathway to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to be held in England and Wales. The stakes are high as only two teams from this regional tournament will advance to the Global Qualifier later this year, making each fixture highly consequential.
Participating teams and group structure
A total of nine nations are competing in this qualifier, all of which are striving to break into the next level of international women’s cricket. Alongside the hosts Thailand, the teams include Nepal, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Bhutan, Hong Kong and Bahrain. These nine sides have been divided into three groups of three teams each.
The format for the group stage is a single round-robin, meaning each team will play two matches within its group. The team finishing at the top of each group will progress to the next phase of the tournament. With such a format, every match in the group stage becomes critical, as there is no room for error when only the group winner advances to the next round.
Qualification path and Super 3s format
Following the completion of the group stage, the top team from each of the three groups will move forward into what is termed the Super 3s stage. In this phase, each of the three remaining teams will play one match against each of the other two. These matches will determine the top two teams based on points and, if necessary, net run rate.
The two teams that finish in the top two positions at the end of the Super 3s will earn qualification to the Global Qualifier event. That Global Qualifier will then act as the final gateway to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. This structure ensures that only the most consistent and high-performing teams throughout both stages of the qualifier will get the opportunity to compete on the world stage in England and Wales.
All matches of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Asia Qualifier will be held in the capital city of Thailand, Bangkok. The tournament will be staged across three primary venues: the Terdthai Cricket Ground, the Bangkok Cricket Stadium, and the Asian Institute of Technology Ground.
Also READ: Cricket Ireland part ways with Ed Joyce; appoints new head coach for Women’s team
Broadcast and streaming information
While the official broadcast partners for the Asia Qualifier 2025 are yet to be confirmed, viewers can expect to follow the matches through streaming platforms that have traditionally provided coverage for ICC pathway tournaments.
In India, Fancode will stream the matches, offering live coverage, scorecards, and commentary. Globally, ICC.tv will provide live streams and match highlights, as it has been the go-to platform for ICC development tournaments in recent years. Although no television broadcast has been announced so far, fans can stay tuned for official updates from the ICC and participating cricket boards for confirmation on coverage details closer to the tournament’s start.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Asia Qualifier Full Schedule
Group Stage Fixtures
May 9, Thursday
- Thailand Women vs Kuwait Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Nepal Women vs Hong Kong, China Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- United Arab Emirates Women vs Malaysia Women – 12:00 PM IST | 01:30 PM Local | 06:30 AM GMT, Bangkok
May 10, Friday
- Nepal Women vs Bahrain Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Thailand Women vs Bhutan Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- United Arab Emirates Women vs Qatar Women – 12:00 PM IST | 01:30 PM Local | 06:30 AM GMT, Bangkok
May 12, Sunday
- Hong Kong, China Women vs Bahrain Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Kuwait Women vs Bhutan Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Malaysia Women vs Qatar Women – 12:00 PM IST | 01:30 PM Local | 06:30 AM GMT, Bangkok
May 13, Monday
- Thailand Women vs Kuwait Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Nepal Women vs Hong Kong, China Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- United Arab Emirates Women vs Malaysia Women – 12:00 PM IST | 01:30 PM Local | 06:30 AM GMT, Bangkok
May 15, Wednesday
- Thailand Women vs Bhutan Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Nepal Women vs Bahrain Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- United Arab Emirates Women vs Qatar Women – 12:00 PM IST | 01:30 PM Local | 06:30 AM GMT, Bangkok
May 16, Thursday
- Kuwait Women vs Bhutan Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Hong Kong, China Women vs Bahrain Women – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
- Malaysia Women vs Qatar Women – 12:00 PM IST | 01:30 PM Local | 06:30 AM GMT, Bangkok
Super 3 Stage Fixtures
May 18, Saturday
- Super 3 – Match 1 – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
May 19, Sunday
- Super 3 – Match 2 – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
May 20, Monday
- Super 3 – Match 3 – 07:30 AM IST | 09:00 AM Local | 02:00 AM GMT, Bangkok
Also READ: England pacer Freya Davies marries her longtime partner Andy Blood; pics go viral
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
