ICC Expands Women’s ODI World Cup to 10 Teams for 2029
ICC boosts format after India's epic win and record crowds.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled a game-changing expansion on Friday, announcing that the Women's ODI World Cup 2029 will feature 10 teams—up from eight in the triumphant 2025 edition hosted in India. Buoyed by the tournament's unprecedented success, where hosts India clinched their maiden global title with a commanding 52-run victory over South Africa in Navi Mumbai on November 2, the ICC aims to amplify women's cricket's global footprint. "The ICC board, keen to build on the success of the event, agreed to expand the next edition," the governing body stated, crediting the surge in fan engagement for the bold move.
The 2025 spectacle shattered records across the board: nearly 300,000 spectators packed stadiums, eclipsing any prior women's cricket event, while global viewership soared with close to 500 million in India alone—surpassing the IPL's daily reach and matching the men's T20 World Cup final. The final drew a peak of 21 million live viewers, marking a watershed for the sport and underscoring the growing appetite for women's cricket. This digital boom, with 446 million overall reach on platforms like JioHotstar, has convinced the ICC that broader participation will sustain the momentum, inviting more nations to compete on the world stage and fostering deeper rivalries.
In a parallel push for equity, the ICC Board greenlit a 10% funding hike for associate members starting 2026, channeling resources into grassroots programs, high-performance training, and infrastructure in emerging markets. This uplift, affecting over 90 non-Test nations, reflects the organization's strategy to democratize the game, ensuring smaller boards like those in Thailand or Namibia can nurture talent pipelines amid rising costs. The move aligns with broader investments post-2025, where women's events generated $100 million in revenue, a 50% jump from 2022.
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Amid these positives, the ICC received an initial briefing on 'Project USA,' launched after suspending USA Cricket for governance lapses. The initiative safeguards U.S. players' commercial and developmental opportunities, paving a clear path to cricket's LA 2028 Olympic debut with men's and women's T20 events featuring six teams each. By prioritizing national team pathways and event participation, the project aims to rebuild U.S. cricket's credibility, avoiding disruptions that could derail the sport's American growth spurt.
Cricket's Olympic resurgence gained further traction, with the sport confirmed for the 2027 African Games in Cairo and Pan American Games in Lima—joining its established spot in the Asian Games. The ICC also ratified key appointments to its Women's Cricket Committee, including Indian legend Mithali Raj alongside Ashley De Silva, Amol Muzumdar, Ben Sawyer, Charlotte Edwards, and Sala Stella Siale-Vaea. These additions promise expert guidance on strategy and inclusion, as women's cricket hurtles toward a more diverse, electrifying future.
Also Read: India Women’s World Cup Winners Get ₹51 Crore Bonus as BCCI Celebrates First ICC Crown
