ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 Trophy. Image Credits: X
In a historic turn of events, the Netherlands women made history by qualifying for their first-ever ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in England and Wales in 2026. Adding to the qualification race, Bangladesh women have also sealed their berth for the T20 World Cup after a 39-run victory against Thailand in their third Super Six match at Mulpani.
The Netherlands and Bangladesh confirmed a top-four finish on the points table as they qualified for the main event, joining Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Netherlands Women secure berth with unbeatable run
Speaking of the Netherlands, the Dutch women secured their berth in the global qualifier by finishing second in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Division One qualifier in 2025.
Following that, the global qualifier held in Nepal in January 2026 saw ten teams compete in two groups of five, with each team playing four group matches. The top three teams from each group advanced to the Super Six stage, and the top four overall in the Super Six qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
The Netherlands were placed in Group B alongside Scotland, Thailand, Nepal, and Zimbabwe. They topped the group undefeated with four wins from four matches, advancing to the Super Six stage, where they eventually finished second behind Bangladesh.
History for Netherlands!
This marked a major breakthrough for the Netherlands women, who had never previously qualified for a senior women’s T20 World Cup. Players like Sterre Kalis, Babette de Leede, and Isabel van der Woning played key roles in pushing the Netherlands’ case for the mega ICC event.
The Netherlands women sealed their spot on January 26, following their January 28 match against the USA women at Kirtipur, where they defeated the USA by 21 runs via the DLS method.
They still have two more matches remaining in the Super Six stage, one against Ireland and another against Bangladesh. Bangladesh currently tops the Super Six standings with three wins from three matches and a net run rate of 1.150.
Bangladesh Women seal spot dominating Super Six stage
Speaking about Bangladesh’s campaign, the women in green and red secured a dominant 39-run victory over Thailand women on January 28 to confirm their qualification for the mega event.
They are now left with two more Super Six matches on January 30 and February 1 against Scotland and the Netherlands, respectively.
Top performers from Netherlands and Bangladesh
Meanwhile, Sterre Kalis, Babette de Leede, and Phebe Molkenboer were among the top run-scorers for the Netherlands. For Bangladesh, Sobhana Mostary emerged as the second-highest run-scorer in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup global qualifier, with 182 runs from five matches. Sharmin Akhter follows closely with 167 runs.
In the bowling department, Rabeya Khan of Bangladesh picked up seven wickets from five appearances, while Ritu Moni also made an impact with six wickets.
From the Dutch side, van der Woning is currently the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with nine wickets from four matches, maintaining an impressive economy rate of 4.75. Caroline de Lange also contributed with a six-wicket haul in the tournament.
With two berths now confirmed, attention turns to the opening match of the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on June 12 between England Women and Sri Lanka Women in Birmingham. India Women will play their first match on June 14 against Pakistan Women.
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