Bangladesh and Netherlands Secure Spots in 2026 Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers

Bangladesh and the Netherlands have secured their places in the Women's T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in England in 2026 after delivering outstanding performances in the selection tournament held in Nepal. While this journey is routine for Bangladesh, who have been participating in the World Cup since 2014, the Netherlands has created history by reaching the World Cup for the first time.

These two teams punched their tickets to the World Cup by defeating Thailand and the USA, respectively, in crucial matches held in Mulpani and Kirtipur. Bangladesh staged a magnificent comeback despite a poor start against Thailand.

Despite losing opener Dilara Akter on the first ball, wicketkeeper batter Juiya Ferdous and Shobhana Mostari forged a crucial 110-run partnership for the third wicket. After Ferdous contributed 56 runs and Mostari 59 runs, Bangladesh posted a total of 165 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Marufa Akter put pressure on the chasing Thailand by taking 3 wickets, and Bangladesh won by 39 runs.

On the other hand, in the match held in Kirtipur, the Netherlands secured a 21-run victory over the USA based on the DLS method. Batting first after losing the toss, the USA could only manage 129 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs.

Hanna Landheer took 3 wickets for the Netherlands. In reply, the match was stopped by rain when the Netherlands had scored 90 runs in 12 overs. Since the Netherlands was ahead on the DLS score, aided by Phoebe Molkenboer's unbeaten 46 and Heather Siegers' aggressive 28 runs, they were declared the winner.

For the first time, 12 teams will participate in this edition of the Women's T20 World Cup. Among the 6 teams that reached the Super Six, 4 teams are eligible for selection to the World Cup.

With Bangladesh and the Netherlands already qualified, a tough competition will ensue between Scotland, Ireland, the USA, and Thailand for the remaining two spots.