ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup

The first Women’s Cricket World Cup was held in 1973. That was two years before the men’s first official World Cup, in 1975. The tournament now runs in two formats: 50-over ODI and T20. This article covers both formats, their history, and their host nations.

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GK0028 · General Knowledge

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup

Two formats, one dominant team — 50-over ODI since 1973, T20 since 2009

1958

IWCC Founded

Australia, England, New Zealand, the Netherlands and South Africa form the International Women’s Cricket Council.

1973

First World Cup

England hosts the first-ever Women’s Cricket World Cup, two years before the men’s first official edition.

1997

50 Overs, Knockout Stage

The India-hosted World Cup standardises the format at 50 overs, with a knockout stage for the first time.

2009

First T20 World Cup

England hosts the first Women’s T20 World Cup, run alongside that year’s men’s tournament.

Two Titles, One Team

Australia has won 14 combined World Cup titles: 7 ODI and 7 T20. That’s more than any other side has won in either format alone.

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Timeline

• 1958: The International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) is founded. Its first members are Australia, England, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and South Africa.
• 1973: England hosts the first Women’s Cricket World Cup. Seven teams play a round-robin league, with no separate final.
• 1997: The India-hosted World Cup adopts 50 overs per side. It also introduces a knockout stage, replacing the pure league table.
• 2005: The IWCC merges into the ICC. Women’s cricket comes under one global governing body for the first time.
• 2009: England hosts the first Women’s T20 World Cup. It runs alongside that year’s men’s World Twenty20.
• 2018: The Women’s T20 World Cup becomes a standalone event, in the West Indies. It splits from the men’s tournament’s schedule and venues for the first time.

Must Know

• The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup is the 50-over (ODI) format. It has run since 1973.
• The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is the Twenty20 format. It has run since 2009.
• Both tournaments are organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body.
• The ODI World Cup is held roughly every four years. The T20 World Cup is held roughly every two years.
• As of August 2026, Australia has won 14 World Cup titles combined, across both formats. That is more than any other team.

Good to Know

• England, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have all hosted the ODI World Cup. England and India have each hosted three times.
• The 2025 ODI World Cup was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India won its maiden title, beating South Africa by 52 runs in the final, on 2 November 2025, at Navi Mumbai.
• From 2029, the ODI World Cup expands to 10 teams, up from 8. The ICC approved this after record attendance at the 2025 edition.
• Pakistan will host the 2028 T20 World Cup, its first global women’s cricket event. Under existing ICC arrangements, India’s matches will be played at a neutral venue.
• Teams qualify through a mix of ICC rankings, the ICC Women’s Championship league, and regional or global qualifier tournaments.
• For India’s own cricket history and domestic structure, see GK0011 — Cricket in India.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. In which year was the first Women’s Cricket World Cup held?

1975

1973

1978

1983

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Great to Know

• Australia’s 14 combined titles break down as 7 ODI titles and 7 T20 titles. Its ODI wins came in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, and 2022. Its T20 wins came in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023, and 2026.
• England trails with 3 ODI titles (1973, 1993, 2017) and 1 T20 title (2009), for 4 combined.
• The T20 World Cup’s early editions ran alongside the men’s World Twenty20, sharing venues and scheduling. The 2018 edition, in the West Indies, was the first held on its own.
• The first Women’s World Cup, in 1973, used 60-over innings. The 1997 edition switched to 50 overs, matching the men’s ODI standard of the time.
• The tournament predates the men’s ODI World Cup by two years. Businessman Sir Jack Hayward funded much of the first 1973 edition, with a £40,000 contribution.

Current Affairs

• 5 July 2026: Australia beat hosts England by 7 wickets in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final, at Lord’s, London. England scored 150/4. Australia chased it down for 153/3, in 17.1 overs. That was the highest successful run chase in any Women’s T20 World Cup final. Beth Mooney anchored the chase with 64 off 49 balls. The tournament ran from 12 June to 5 July 2026, hosted by England and Wales. It featured 12 teams playing 33 matches across 7 venues. Australia went undefeated through the whole tournament. This was Australia’s 7th T20 World Cup title, and its 14th Women’s World Cup title overall, counting both formats. (Source: ICC)