The ICC has announced a record prize pot of US$8.76 million for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played in England in June-July. That represents a 10% increase from $7.95 million for the 2024 edition and stems largely from the expansion from a 10 to 12-team competition, and an increase in group-stage matches from 20 to 30, a rise of 50%.
The winners of the competition will be awarded a prize of $2.34 million – the same as the previous edition – while the runners-up will again receive $1.17 million. The losing semi-finalists will be awarded $675,000, while each win in the group stage is worth $31,154 – the same as in 2024.
It could leave some mid-ranking teams in line to earn less prize money than in the 2024 edition, due to the removal of positional prizes for those who fail to reach the knockout stages. On paper, the minimum prize for participation that each team is guaranteed to take home has increased from $112,500 in the last edition to $247,500, the lowest-finishing teams at this edition will effectively receive the same prize money as in 2024.
This is due to the removal of positional prizes for those who fail to reach the knockouts. In the 2024 edition, the two worst performing teams (ninth and 10th) took home their participation fee of US $112,500 plus the positional prize money of US $135,000 (equal to this year’s minimum prize of US $247,500).
Teams finishing fifth to eighth in 2024 were awarded their participation fee (of $112,500) plus a prize of $270,000 – a total of $382,500. At this summer’s tournament, a team which narrowly misses out on the knockouts will take home the minimum prize money of $247,500, plus $31,154 for each match they win. They will have an extra group match compared to 2024.
Due to the increase in the minimum prize money from $112,500 to $247,500, the teams that stand to benefit the most are those who reach the knockout stages. A losing semi-finalist will take home a minimum of $922,500 ($675,000 plus $247,500) compared to $787,500 two years ago, while the runners-up will earn at least $1,417,500 – an increase from $1,282,500. The champions, meanwhile, stand to be awarded at least $2,587,500, up from $2,452,500 in 2024.
The 2024 edition, that New Zealand won in the UAE, had seen a huge increase in prize money from the previous edition in South Africa, with the total prize pool rocketing to $7.95 million from $2.45 million in 2023 – a 224% increase. The increase in prize money came after a 2023 decision by the ICC to award equal prize money for their equivalent men’s and women’s events.
The winners of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup – India – were awarded a prize of $2.45 million – the same amount they won for their triumph at the 2024 edition. The difference between that amount and what the women champions will take home is down to the different number of matches played by teams during the two events. Harmanpreet Kaur’s India side, who won the Women’s ODI World Cup on home soil last year, took home a jackpot of $6.58 million.
The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup begins on June 12, when hosts England will take on Sri Lanka on the opening night at Edgbaston, with the final to be hosted on July 5 at Lord’s.
