Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Ranking all teams from strongest to weakest

The upcoming Women's T20 World Cup will be the 10th edition of the marquee event. The tournament has been expanded to 12 teams from the 10 that participated in the previous edition in 2024, which New Zealand won by beating South Africa in the final. This time, the tournament will be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The global extravaganza gets rolling on Friday, June 12. Let's take a look at how the teams are looking ahead of the tournament. Here's the ranking of Women's T20 World Cup 2026 teams from strongest to weakest 12. Netherlands The Netherlands are making their debut in the Women's T20 World Cup. They are ranked 14th in ICC's rankings for women's teams in T20I cricket. They are placed in what could be called the "Group of Death" - Group A, with three heavyweights like Australia, South Africa, and India being there. This is going to be a learning experience for the Dutch players. 11. Scotland In terms of the ICC rankings, Scotland find themselves at No. 11. They will have a slight edge because most of their players play domestic cricket in England and would know what to expect from the conditions. Scotland will be targeting their first win against a full-member side at a Women's World Cup. 10. Bangladesh Bangladesh has a good mix of youth and experience and are improving as a team. Under Nigar Sultana Jyoti's captaincy, the Asian side will look to give their passionate fans something to cheer for. While progression to the semi-final is going to be difficult from Group A, they would be looking to notch up a win against the Netherlands and surprise at least one of the title contenders. 9. Ireland Ireland and Bangladesh would have swapped positions on this list had the tournament been played in the subcontinent. The Irish are more equipped to do well in these conditions. They defeated Bangladesh by 11 runs and also gave South Africa a run for their money in the two warm-up games they played ahead of the main competition. 8. Pakistan Pakistan Women's team is ranked eighth in the ICC rankings, but it is as unpredictable a side as the men's team. They can beat any team on a given day, but consistency is an issue. Fatima Sana and Co. have not had the ideal start to their campaign in England, having been comprehensively beaten by Scotland and Sri Lanka in the warm-ups. 7. West Indies The West Indies are heavily dependent on their talismanic captain Hayley Matthews. However, there is enough talent to help the Caribbean side have a solid campaign. They can be one of the dark horses to qualify from Group B. However, they will have to play as a unit and capitalise whenever they can find openings. 6. Sri Lanka Sri Lanka are ranked seventh by the ICC in T20Is, while the West Indies find themselves at No. 6. However, the Chamari Athapaththu-led side has been in good form of late. While they do not have one of the most formidable pace attacks in the competition, they have a batting lineup that can compete with some of the best in the tournament. Sri Lanka will be entering the series high on confidence, having beaten the West Indies and Bangladesh in their last two T20I series. 5. South Africa South Africa are ranked fifth in the ICC rankings. However, they are one of the top contenders, having reached the finals in the last two editions of the tournament. Laura Wolvaardt and Co. defeated India 4-1 in a five-match T20I series at home in April. In the warm-up matches, however, they had to dig deep to beat Ireland before losing to New Zealand. 4. India India are ranked third by the ICC, but they can be slightly inconsistent. The 2025 Women's ODI World Cup champions have lost back-to-back T20I series to South Africa and England, heading into the showpiece event. They defeated the West Indies by 26 runs in their first warm-up game but lost to England by five runs in the second. The batting department is strong for India, but the fast bowlers will have to step up. 3. New Zealand Defending T20 World Cup champions New Zealand are in solid form heading into this edition. They are ranked fourth in the ICC rankings. Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Amelia Kerr are coming into this tournament on the back of red-hot form. The conditions will also be similar to those in New Zealand. Can the White Ferns retain the title? 2. England England are one of the favourites to lift the title, and it's not just because they know the conditions like the back of their hands. They recently defeated India 2-1 at home in a three-match series without regular captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. England lost to Australia in a warm-up game but defeated India. Alice Capsey and Heather Knight are in sublime form this year. Sophie Ecclestone's contributions will be key for the hosts. 1. Australia Australia enter another ICC event as the prime favourites. They have immense depth in the side and the presence of multiple in-form players makes them very difficult to beat. Also, they bat deep thanks to the plethora of all-rounders in the side. The six-time champions are the top-ranked team, as per the ICC rankings and would want to reclaim the title this year.