India set to host Champions Trophy 2027 [Source: AFP]After reports came in that the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy was set to be held outside Sri Lanka in February 2027, a new development has come into existence. The ICC has announced the full venues and dates of the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy, which is set to take place in India.India to host Women's Champions Trophy 2027The inaugural edition of the tournament will be played from February 14 to February 28 next year, with all of the six-team events to be played at the CCI-Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara.Previously, the ICC analysed and assessed three candidates to host the tournament, namely Bangladesh, India, and South Africa, and India won the nomination as the replacement host for Sri Lanka, which was a decision ratified by the ICC Board on September 1. Also Read- Rohit Sharma’s Future Set For Clarity In BCCI MeetingJay Shah, the ICC Chairman, also marked the beginning of the tournament by announcing and explaining the decision behind hosting the marquee event.“The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 marks an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket," ICC Chairman Jay Shah said.“As the inaugural edition of the tournament, it will bring together the best teams in the world in an intense, high-quality competition, while creating even greater incentive for teams to continue rising through the rankings and competing for a place on the global stage," Shah added.ICC yet to announce full schedule of Women’s Champions Trophy 2027Although the mega announcement has created a lot of buzz around the excitement of hosting a new tournament for the first time in India, it is to be noted that the ICC hasn’t revealed the full schedule of the tournament yet. The inaugural date is February 14, with the tournament final set to be played on the 28th of the same month. Hence, for Indian fans, the tournament only collides with the men’s senior team’s 4th and 5th Tests during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Nevertheless, India Women’s team have a free hand with their last fixture on the calendar being against South Africa Women on December 30. With the full schedule yet to be revealed, it is understood that ICC will be expected to reveal the detailed fixtures by late November to early December 2026.How the ICC might have chosen the venues for Women’s Champions Trophy 2027?The ICC’s decision to stage the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy across Mumbai and Vadodara appears to be supporting a blend of experience and modern infrastructure. For the unaware, the Brabourne Stadium brings the experience that comes with hosting major international cricket, having previously staged ICC events and women’s global cricket. Its location in Mumbai also provides strong connectivity, hospitality and broadcasting infrastructure for the tournament.Vadodara, meanwhile, offers a modern cricketing complex built with international standards in mind. The Kotambi Stadium has already hosted international women’s cricket, men’s internationals and WPL matches, giving it a growing record of handling major fixtures.It is also noteworthy that it hasn't been mentioned whether the group stage matches will be played in only one stadium and the Final in the other. That will be another interesting aspect of the importance of these venues.Together, the venues offer the ICC a combination of experience, modern facilities and logistical convenience. As the tournament will be played in the T20I format with the six teams in a round-robin league, the logistics challenge won’t be too complex. The distance between the venues is 441 kms which further indicates travelling teams will have enough time to rest and recover after their respective matches.Also Read- Ex-BCB Director Among 3 Charged Over BPL Corruption
