Record Ticket Sales Signal Women's Cricket Boom for T20 World Cup 2026

"This year's ticket sales have surpassed the total fan attendance of 136,549 recorded across the entirety of the 2020 edition in Australia, highlighting the extraordinary momentum behind women's cricket and the growing global demand for the women's game," ICC said in a statement.

The achievement marks a major milestone for the ICC's long-term commitment to accelerating the growth of women's cricket worldwide and reflects the increasing passion and engagement from supporters in the United Kingdom (UK) and from around the world.

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 will feature the top 12 teams competing across the seven venues after playing warm-up matches to be held from 6-10 June at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens, Derby County Ground, and Loughborough University, home of the ECB's National Cricket Performance Centre.

ICC general manager - events and corporate communications, Gaurav Saxena, said, "The 2026 edition becoming the highest-selling ICC Women's T20 World Cup ever is another milestone for the women's game.

"It not only highlights the incredible momentum behind women's cricket but also reflects the strong cultural pull of an ICC pinnacle event, the appeal for which is not limited to sports fans.

"This edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup is set to be our biggest tournament to date and is expected to smash attendance and viewership records in the UK and around the world. This milestone is a hugely exciting moment for everyone involved and has been almost a year in the making.

"The response from fans is a testament to the bold, creative and well-executed marketing efforts of both the ICC and the ECB in the run-up to the tournament, more of which are to follow over the next four weeks.

"We look forward to welcoming fans from across the globe to England and Wales for what promises to be the biggest and most exciting edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup."

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 tournament director, Beth Barrett-Wild, said, "Surpassing 145,000 ticket sales is an incredible milestone and a powerful signal of the momentum behind the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. To have exceeded the previous record set in Australia, before a ball has been bowled, shows just how much excitement there is for this tournament and for women's cricket globally.

"We've always believed this tournament has the potential to be the biggest women's cricket event in history, and the response from fans has been extraordinary. It reflects the growing profile of the women's game, the strength of the teams and players on show, and the appetite for world-class sporting events across England and Wales as we build towards an unforgettable summer in 2026."

- IANS