Close
newsletters Newsletters
X Instagram Youtube

Women's T20 World Cup can thrive alongside men's football tournament

Nonkululeko Mlaba (L) and Ayabonga Khaka (R) leave the pitch at the end of play in the ICC Women's T20 cricket world cup 2026, north-west England on June 13, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Photo
BigPhoto
Nonkululeko Mlaba (L) and Ayabonga Khaka (R) leave the pitch at the end of play in the ICC Women's T20 cricket world cup 2026, north-west England on June 13, 2026. (AFP Photo)
June 14, 2026 10:56 AM GMT+03:00

International Cricket Council chief executive Sanjog Gupta emphasizes that the Women's T20 World Cup is capable of holding public interest and sharing the sporting spotlight with the football World Cup.

England opened the cricket showpiece on home soil with an 87-run rout of Sri Lanka on Friday in front of 14,865 fans at Edgbaston.

England's female football and rugby teams enjoyed public acclaim for their success at the European Championships and the Rugby World Cup in recent years.

But their cricketing counterparts are going for glory at a time when the sporting landscape is being dominated by the men's football World Cup in North America.

Australia celebrate during the ICC Women's T20 cricket world cup 2026 game between Australia and South Africa, at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on June 13, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Australia celebrate during the ICC Women's T20 cricket world cup 2026 game between Australia and South Africa, at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on June 13, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Record ticket sales, growth projections

Gupta says ticket sales for the three-week event reaching around 220,000 before a ball had been bowled, by far a tournament record, suggests the women's event can hold public interest.

"We genuinely see this event as a seminal moment for the sport," Gupta said. "I think the World Cups can co-exist. We've not seen any impact on ticket sales.

"If anything, the ticket sales have been stronger than ever, which is why we're at a point where we've sold more tickets than any previous edition of the Women's T20 World Cup.

"Our attendance numbers are tracking in the manner that we expected them to, and the projections are for them to touch 300,000. If the weather holds up, then we will have a fantastic tournament that will stand in its own right.

"We've seen tremendous acceleration in the growth of women's cricket to an extent where we now believe this event could potentially be one of the two biggest women's sporting events ever. It is not in any way being played in the shadow of the FIFA Men's World Cup."

June 14, 2026 10:56 AM GMT+03:00
More From Türkiye Today