Sri Lanka lose Women’s Champions Trophy hosting rights

The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, set to take place in February 2027, will be moved from Sri Lanka as the country's cricket board (SLC) is stripped of hosting rights. Cricinfo has reported that the six-team event will be played at an alternative venue within the same timeframe, likely in India, though the final decision will be made at the upcoming ICC board meeting in October.

Sri Lanka is losing the rights to host the tournament, which would have been their second ICC event in a year, following their co-hosting of the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup. The reason for this loss is due to government interference in the SLC. The country's interim administration, known as the Transformation Committee, was put in place by the Sri Lankan government and will oversee major board changes, including updates to the constitution.

The ICC does not acknowledge politically appointed administrations, and SLC representatives have not attended ICC board meetings since the Transformation Committee's establishment. This change in venue may significantly impact the Sri Lankan team, as they only qualified for the tournament by hosting it in their country. The competition is limited to the top six teams on the ICC rankings, and as of the latest update, Sri Lanka ranks seventh.

Australia, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa hold the top five spots, with West Indies in sixth place, who would have been ineligible if Sri Lanka did not qualify.

This marks the second time in three years that Sri Lanka has lost an ICC event, with the 2024 men’s Under-19 World Cup also being relocated to South Africa for the same reason. While the Transformation Committee oversees the reform of the electoral system and the Sri Lanka Cricket constitution, it is expected that these processes will be taken up in parliament in the coming weeks.

Members of the Transformation Committee have stated that they anticipate SLC elections to occur before the end of 2026, assuming the parliamentary process proceeds smoothly.