Women's Champions Trophy: Sri Lanka faces estimated loss of $20 million
ICC moves inaugural women’s tournament to Mumbai and Vadodara as SLC remains embroiled in governance reforms
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) faces an estimated revenue loss of $20 million (about Rs 188 crore) after the ICC stripped the country of the hosting rights for the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy and shifted the six-team tournament to India.
The tournament, originally awarded to Sri Lanka, will now be played in India from 14 to 28 February 2027, with the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium hosting the matches. Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are the six teams in the tournament.
The loss is a major financial setback for SLC, which will retain only a hosting fee after losing the wider revenue generated by staging the tournament. "There will certainly be a hosting fee paid to us. I believe it is around $2 million," SLC transformation committee secretary Prakash Schaffter told reporters, adding that the board would also have had to spend on upgrading venues and facilities.
For India, the switch brings another major ICC women's event to the country, strengthening its position as a global hub for cricket and giving the BCCI the commercial, broadcasting and spectator benefits of hosting the inaugural edition of a new ICC tournament. The event also fits into the ICC's broader effort to give women's cricket a major global tournament every year. ICC chairman Jay Shah said the Champions Trophy would help create "greater momentum" and a stronger rhythm for the women's game.
The ICC said India was selected as the replacement host after it assessed India, Bangladesh and South Africa against its established host-evaluation criteria. Sri Lanka will nevertheless remain in the tournament as one of the six participating teams.
The immediate reason for the change is the continuing governance crisis at SLC. The ICC said Sri Lanka was still required to carry out reforms outlined at its Annual Conference in July, and that the country's cricket administration had not yet completed the changes required by the world governing body.
The crisis dates back to November 2023, when the ICC suspended SLC after finding that the board was not being administered autonomously and that there was government interference in its affairs. The suspension was subsequently lifted, but tensions over the independence and governance of the cricket board persisted.
Sri Lanka's elected SLC administration headed by Shammi Silva resigned in April this year following government intervention, after which the sports minister appointed an interim committee to oversee the board. The committee is working on a new constitution and reforms aimed at restructuring SLC and addressing allegations of corruption.
The Champions Trophy is therefore the latest casualty of the prolonged dispute over who should control Sri Lankan cricket. The country had originally been awarded the tournament through a competitive bidding process, but the ICC has now decided that India will take over the hosting duties while Sri Lanka continues its governance reforms.
The loss is particularly significant because Sri Lanka had already been due to host the inaugural women's Champions Trophy as part of the ICC's 2024-27 women's events calendar. The country will now participate in the tournament but will not receive the broader economic and commercial benefits associated with hosting it.