ICC launches inaugural Women's T20I Challenge Trophy in Rwanda

Key facts

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the inaugural Women's T20I Challenge Trophy in Kigali, Rwanda.
• The five-team tournament features Rwanda, Italy, Nepal, United States of America (USA), and Vanuatu.
• The event is scheduled to take place from 18 April to 2 May at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium.
• The competition is designed as a double round-robin event to provide competitive international exposure to Associate Member nations.
• Nepal is the highest-ranked side in the competition, currently holding the 21st position in the ICC Women's T20I rankings.
• Vanuatu is the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, currently holding the 30th position in the rankings.
• The ICC confirmed that the Women's T20 World Cup will expand to 12 teams in 2026 and further to 16 teams in 2030.