The inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy is set to take place in India early next year, marking a historic moment for women’s cricket. The tournament brings together six powerhouse teams for a high-octane T20I showdown.
Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka will face off against each other in the showpiece event. Each squad combines talent and experience, and several players are poised to set the tournament alight.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta looks ahead to the event as a new chapter in women’s cricket takes shape.
Here is a look at some of the premier players who can shine in the competition.
Australia
Not afraid to take on any bowling attack from ball one, Phoebe Litchfield represents the next generation of Australian batting flair. Her 360-degree strokeplay and fearless approach make her an immediate threat on sub-continental tracks.
She impressed during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, hosted in India and Sri Lanka, where she scored 304 runs in seven matches at an average of 50.67 and a strike rate of 112.17.
In 39 T20Is, Litchfield has scored 687 runs at a strike rate around 137.95. At the recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, she managed 126 runs from four innings at a strike rate of 141.57.
India
India’s aggressive opener Shafali Verma has built a career across 122 T20Is, and her strike rate remains in excess of 140. She showcases an ability to score quickly, and her brisk starts force the opposition into early defensive tactics.
Her explosive potential at the top of the order is matched by her bowling. Shafali has taken 22 wickets in T20Is at an average of merely 21.36 and an economy of six.
At the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, she scored 179 runs and chipped in with five valuable wickets.
England
With a natural ability to extract sharp bounce and early inswing, Lauren Bell is England’s prime strike weapon with the new ball. Her skill at extracting extra movement from the surface could prove particularly useful on the slower tracks in India, where batters will not expect the ball to rise as much.
With her rhythm and height, Bell provides a reliable resource for early Powerplay breakthroughs. She hits the seam with tight, attacking lines and forces batters to defend off the back foot.
Bell has taken 67 T20I wickets at a lethal average of 18.86, and she claimed seven scalps for England at the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
New Zealand
Georgia Plimmer has rapidly developed into one of New Zealand’s most exciting top-order prospects. Known for her aggressive approach, she gives New Zealand dynamic starts during the Powerplay. Her ability to clear the infield and play fearlessly against high-pace bowling makes her a vital asset.
Plimmer has accumulated 772 T20I runs across 57 matches at a strike rate of 104.6. Perhaps her most impressive showing came during New Zealand’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in 2024, where the hard-hitting right-hander finished as the equal fourth leading run-scorer.
South Africa
Nadine de Klerk serves as a vital seam-bowling all-rounder who delivers tight middle and death overs. She also contributes crucial lower-order runs as a fiery finisher. She has collected 64 T20I wickets at an economy rate of 7.7 and scored 852 runs at a strike rate of 105.44.
Her composure under pressure regularly turns tight chases in South Africa’s favour, and she has a knack for striking crucial boundaries in the final overs. She is also a stellar fielder, often taking key catches and saving runs at critical stages of the game.
Sri Lanka
Harshitha Samarawickrama serves as Sri Lanka’s dependable top-order anchor. With sound technique and sweep shots that steady the innings, she has compiled 1,977 T20I runs across 99 matches at a strike rate of 101.8.
Her evolution into a reliable top-order pillar gives Sri Lanka steady tactical rotation against quality spin in the middle overs. She manipulates field placements and builds composed innings under pressure, consistently laying the platform for Sri Lanka’s total.