The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, scheduled for February 2027, is set to move out of Sri Lanka after the country lost its hosting rights amid concerns over government interference in the administration of Sri Lanka Cricket.
The six-team tournament will be played in the same February window, but at a different venue, with India emerging as the likely new host.
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The International Cricket Council is expected to formally confirm the new host at its next board meeting in October. The decision could have consequences not only for the tournament’s venue but also for Sri Lanka’s participation, as the team currently sits outside the top six in the ICC women’s rankings.
Sri Lanka had originally qualified for the inaugural tournament because it was scheduled to host the competition. However, the event is restricted to the six highest-ranked teams, and Sri Lanka are currently seventh after the latest rankings update.
Australia, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa occupy the top five positions, while West Indies are sixth. If Sri Lanka lose their automatic hosting qualification, the West Indies could take their place in the six-team competition.
Why Sri Lanka lost the hosting rights
The main reason behind the ICC’s decision is the ongoing dispute over the administration of Sri Lanka Cricket. The Sri Lankan government has installed an interim administration known as the Transformation Committee, which has been tasked with overseeing reforms within the cricket board.
The ICC does not recognise politically appointed cricket administrations. Since the Transformation Committee was established, representatives of Sri Lanka Cricket have not participated in ICC board meetings.
The development has now directly affected Sri Lanka’s ability to host an ICC event. The Women’s Champions Trophy was supposed to be the second ICC tournament hosted by Sri Lanka within a year after the country co-hosted the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup.
The decision reflects the ICC’s longstanding position that national cricket boards should operate independently of political authorities. The Sri Lankan cricket administration has been facing a wider governance dispute, with reforms to its constitution and electoral structure at the centre of the issue.
The Transformation Committee currently controls the administration, while the electoral process of Sri Lanka Cricket remains suspended.
Its stated objective is to reform the cricket board’s constitution and electoral system, but the process requires parliamentary approval under Sri Lankan law.
The committee has said that it has prepared a new constitution and expects Parliament to consider it in the coming weeks. According to members of the committee, SLC elections could be held before the end of 2026 if the parliamentary process proceeds smoothly.
Until that process is completed, however, uncertainty surrounding Sri Lanka Cricket’s administration remains.
India likely to become the new host
With the tournament scheduled for February 2027, India is currently considered the most likely destination for the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy.
The new host will be officially confirmed at the ICC board meeting in October. Holding the competition in India would provide the ICC with an established cricket infrastructure and avoid the uncertainty surrounding Sri Lanka Cricket’s administration.
The tournament will feature only six teams and is expected to bring together the leading sides in women’s international cricket.
Australia, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa are currently among the top five teams in the rankings, while West Indies occupy sixth place. Sri Lanka are seventh.
The change in venue could therefore create an unusual situation in which Sri Lanka lose their place in the tournament despite originally qualifying because of their hosting status.
Sri Lanka’s qualification was linked directly to the tournament being staged in the country. Once the hosting rights are removed, the normal qualification criteria based on the ICC rankings could determine the final six-team lineup.
That would potentially bring West Indies into the competition.
For Sri Lanka Women, this would be a major setback. The team would not only lose the opportunity to play an ICC event on home soil but could also miss the inaugural edition altogether.
The change could also affect the team’s preparation and expectations, particularly because playing at home would have offered Sri Lanka familiarity with local conditions and strong support from domestic fans.
Sri Lanka face another ICC setback
The latest decision is not the first time Sri Lanka have lost the right to host an ICC event because of governance concerns.
In 2023, the ICC removed the hosting rights for the 2024 men’s Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka. The tournament was subsequently shifted to South Africa.
The current development means Sri Lanka have now faced the loss of hosting rights for two ICC events within three years for similar reasons.
The repeated disputes have placed considerable pressure on the country’s cricket administration to resolve its governance issues.
The ICC’s position has remained focused on protecting the independence of cricket boards from political intervention. The Sri Lankan authorities, meanwhile, have argued for reforms to the administration and electoral system of Sri Lanka Cricket.
The Transformation Committee was established with the stated purpose of making those changes.
However, because major constitutional reforms require parliamentary approval, the process has taken on a political and legal dimension.
The committee has indicated that it wants to complete the reforms and hold fresh SLC elections before the end of 2026. If that timeline is achieved, Sri Lanka Cricket could potentially return to a regular elected administration before the Women’s Champions Trophy begins in February 2027.
For now, however, the ICC has decided not to retain the tournament in Sri Lanka.
What the decision means for Sri Lanka Women
The biggest sporting consequence could be Sri Lanka Women’s possible exclusion from the tournament.
The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy is limited to six teams based on the ICC rankings. Sri Lanka currently occupy seventh position, meaning they would not qualify under the ranking-based system.
Their place had effectively been secured because they were scheduled to host the competition.
With the tournament now moving elsewhere, that advantage disappears.
The West Indies, currently ranked sixth, could therefore enter the tournament in Sri Lanka’s place.
For Sri Lanka, the timing is particularly unfortunate because hosting an ICC tournament could have provided the women’s team with a major opportunity to compete on home ground against the strongest teams in the world.
The tournament would also have helped promote women’s cricket in the country and provided greater exposure for Sri Lankan players.
Instead, the team now faces the possibility of missing the inaugural competition altogether.
The final decision will depend on the ICC’s formal confirmation of the host and the applicable qualification arrangements.
What happens next for Sri Lanka Cricket
The immediate priority for Sri Lanka Cricket is resolving its administrative crisis.
The Transformation Committee has said it has prepared a new constitution that is expected to be presented to Parliament. The proposed reforms are intended to address the structure and electoral processes of the cricket board.
At present, SLC elections remain suspended. The committee has indicated that elections could take place before the end of 2026 if Parliament approves the proposed changes without major delays.
A return to an elected administration could help Sri Lanka Cricket restore its relationship with the ICC and regain confidence within the international cricket community.
However, the loss of the Women’s Champions Trophy hosting rights demonstrates the consequences of prolonged uncertainty.
Sri Lanka had already co-hosted the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, making the Women’s Champions Trophy another major opportunity to showcase the country as an international cricket destination.
The removal of the event now represents a significant loss both for Sri Lankan cricket and for the country’s sports tourism ambitions.
Inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy faces venue change
The Women’s Champions Trophy itself remains scheduled for February 2027 despite the change in venue.
The ICC is expected to retain the same tournament window, with the new host to be announced at the October board meeting.
India appears to be the strongest possibility at present, although the ICC has yet to make the final confirmation.
For the participating teams, a change in venue could influence preparation, travel arrangements and playing conditions.
For Sri Lanka, the consequences are even more significant because the team’s participation itself is now uncertain.
The tournament was designed to bring together the world’s leading women’s ODI teams in a compact six-team competition. The rankings will play a central role in determining the field once Sri Lanka’s hosting advantage is removed.
Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies currently occupy the six qualifying positions.
Sri Lanka will therefore need to improve their ranking if they want to secure a place in the tournament through the normal qualification route.
The final rankings and ICC decisions will determine whether the West Indies officially replace Sri Lanka.
The development also underlines how cricket administration can have direct sporting consequences. A dispute over governance has now resulted in the loss of an ICC hosting opportunity and could potentially prevent the host nation’s women’s team from participating.
Sri Lanka Cricket’s next few months will therefore be crucial. Completing the constitutional reform process, restoring an elected administration and rebuilding its relationship with the ICC could determine whether the country is able to regain major international hosting opportunities in the future.
For the Women’s Champions Trophy, meanwhile, attention will now shift to the ICC board meeting in October, when the new venue is expected to be confirmed.