New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced a record prize money of around Rs 82 crore for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales in two months.Compared with the previous session, the total bonus increased by 10%. The 2026 tournament will also expand to 12 teams from 10 in 2024 and is scheduled to be played at seven venues from June 12 to July 5, with the final taking place at Lord’s Cricket Ground.In comparison, the total prize money at the last edition of the UAE event was US$7,958,077 (approximately Rs. 74 crore). This year’s figure has increased to $8,764,615 (approximately Rs. 82 crore), an increase of 10%.In terms of rewards, the champion will receive US$2.34 million (approximately 218 million rupees) and the runner-up will receive US$1.17 million (approximately 100 million rupees). The team that loses in the semi-finals will receive a bonus of $675,000 (approximately Rs. 62.9 crore) and each victory in the group stage will receive $31,154 (approximately Rs. 29 lakh).“All 12 participating teams will receive a minimum guaranteed prize money of $247,500 (approximately Rs 206 crore),” ICC said in a release.The match will take place on June 12 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, between hosts England and Sri Lanka.Other teams participating in the tournament include Australia, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa and West Indies, and the tournament will be played over 24 days with a total of 33 matches.Meanwhile, the T20 World Cup trophy will tour various host cities before ending in London, with its first stop in Scotland taking place from May 7 to 10.ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said: “The growth of women’s cricket continues to accelerate and the expansion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to 12 teams, coupled with a record prize pool, underlines our commitment to building a stronger and more competitive global game.”
