ICC Chairman Jay Shah hails record-breaking opening weekend of Women's T20 WC 2026
London, June 17
International Cricket Council Chairman Jay Shah hailed the start of the ongoing ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, highlighting record-breaking attendance and viewership figures.
In a post on X, Jay Shah noted that nearly 45,000 fans attended matches during the opening weekend, making it the biggest-ever start to an ICC women's event. Shah also pointed out that the India vs Pakistan match on Sunday attracted over 25 million unique viewers on JioHotstar in India, while Sky Sports recorded its highest-ever viewership for a Women's T20 World Cup match in the UK.
"It's a blockbuster start to the @ICC #WT20WorldCup 2026. Opening weekend (Fri-Sun) saw almost 45000 fans in attendance across #Birmingham, #Manchester and #Southamption. This is the biggest ever opening weekend for an ICC women's event. Live Digital viewership in India for #IndvPak @JioHotstar crossed 25 million unique users - more than the aggregate viewership for the entire last edition of WT20WC," he said.
"Peak viewership in the UK on #SkySports was the highest-ever for any WT20WC match. Across India, UK and the world over...the women's Cricket movement has started re-writing history from its opening weekend itself," he added in the X post.
The tournament has featured eight matches so far and has already produced a couple of upsets, both involving defending champions New Zealand. The White Ferns first suffered a seven-wicket loss to West Indies before going down by five wickets against Sri Lanka.
India have played one match so far in their campaign, facing arch-rivals Pakistan, whom they defeated by 64 runs. The Indian women's team are currently second in the Group A standings, behind only Australia.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, our women cricketers are getting the recognition they deserve! Remember when people used to say 'women's cricket doesn't sell'? Look at the numbers now - 45,000 fans in stadiums across England and record digital viewership. This is historic! India's performance against Pakistan was top class too. 🇮🇳💪
Great initiative by ICC to invest in women's cricket. But let's not forget that India still has a long way to go in terms of grassroots development and equal pay. And honestly, Jay Shah ji, we need more matches between India and other teams, not just Pakistan and Australia. Still, happy to see the response! 😊
As a cricket fan from the UK, I loved seeing the atmosphere at Edgbaston and Old Trafford. The India vs Pakistan game was electric - so many fans from both communities cheering together. This tournament is proving that women's sport can draw huge crowds when given proper exposure. Well done to all involved! 🇬🇧🏏
The way Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma have been playing is inspiring a generation of young girls across India. But I hope the broadcasters don't just focus on India matches. The New Zealand upsets - losing to West Indies and Sri Lanka - shows how competitive women's cricket has become. This is just the beginning! 🌟
Great numbers, but let's be honest - 25 million unique viewers for India-Pakistan is partly due to the rivalry, not purely interest in women's cricket. That said, it's still a massive achievement. The ICC deserves praise for scheduling more matches and promoting the
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