The second edition of the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy will run from 12 to 25 November in Ajman, UAE. The field grows from eight to 10 teams, and five ICC Full Members take part for the first time. The tournament features two groups, a Super Six stage and a Final.
Tournament Snapshot: Key Numbers
The expansion is the biggest structural change since the inaugural edition in 2025. Two additional teams raise the match count and widen the mix of opposition for every squad.
The table below summarises the main figures for the event.
| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Dates | 12 to 25 November |
| Teams | 10 (up from 8) |
| Full Members | 5 |
| Associate Members | 5 |
| Groups | 2 groups of 5 |
| Group stage matches | 20 |
| Super Six matches | 9 |
| Final | 1 |
| Total matches | 30 |
| Venues | 2 (Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground and Seven Districts Sports Club) |
The even split of five Full Members and five Associate Members is the defining feature of this edition.
Groups and Participating Teams
Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are the Full Members. They join the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand and the UAE, who are Associate Members.
The draw spreads the Full Members across both groups, so neither pool is limited to one tier of opposition.
| Group | Teams |
|---|
| Group A | Ireland, PNG, Scotland, Sri Lanka, UAE |
| Group B | Bangladesh, Netherlands, Pakistan, Thailand, Zimbabwe |
Tier Balance by Group
Group A has two Full Members (Ireland and Sri Lanka) and three Associates (PNG, Scotland and UAE). Group B has three Full Members (Bangladesh, Pakistan and Zimbabwe) and two Associates (the Netherlands and Thailand).
Each team plays four group matches, one against every other side in its pool.
Format: Groups, Super Six and Final
Teams first play within their groups. The qualifiers then move into a Super Six stage before the Final. The format was approved on the recommendation of the ICC Women's Cricket Committee and confirmed by the ICC Chief Executives' Committee.
The Super Six fixtures use the labels QA1 to QA3 and QB1 to QB3. These indicate qualifiers from Group A and Group B, which suggests three teams advance from each group. The ICC release does not detail how the Super Six standings will be built.
| Stage | Dates | Matches |
|---|
| Group Stage | 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 November | 20 |
| Super Six | 20, 22, 23 November | 9 |
| Final | 25 November | 1 |
Match Days and Rest Days
The 14-day window includes nine match days and five days without cricket. Group stage days carry four matches each, split evenly between the 09:00 and 13:15 local start times.
Schedule Structure and Venues
Both Ajman venues host matches on most days. The Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground stages the Final on 25 November.
Opening day brings four group fixtures, listed below.
| Date | Time (UAE) | Match | Venue |
|---|
| 12 Nov | 09:00 | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | Karwan Sports Club |
| 12 Nov | 09:00 | PNG vs Scotland | Seven Districts Sports Club |
| 12 Nov | 13:15 | Pakistan vs Bangladesh | Karwan Sports Club |
| 12 Nov | 13:15 | Netherlands vs Thailand | Seven Districts Sports Club |
Super Six Fixture Load
The Super Six stage has nine matches over three days. That works out to three matches per team against opponents from the other group.
| Date | Fixtures |
|---|
| 20 Nov | QA2 vs QB2, QA1 vs QB3, QB1 vs QA3 |
| 22 Nov | QB2 vs QA1, QB1 vs QA2, QA3 vs QB3 |
| 23 Nov | QA1 vs QB1, QB3 vs QA2, QA3 vs QB2 |
Inaugural Edition Benchmark
The 2025 edition was a tight contest. Thailand won the title on home soil after finishing level on points with Scotland, the Netherlands and the UAE. Net run rate decided the final standings.
A four-way tie on points shows how narrow the gaps were among the top teams. Net run rate is likely to matter again in a larger field with a new qualification structure.
| Measure | 2025 Edition | Second Edition |
|---|
| Teams | 8 | 10 |
| Full Members | Not part of the field | 5 |
| Champion | Thailand | To be decided |
| Tiebreaker in 2025 | Net run rate | Not specified |
Pathway Impact
Several players improved their position in the ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings after the inaugural event. That outcome supports the ICC's case for regular high-level fixtures for emerging teams.
ICC General Manager of Events and Cricket Operations Gaurav Saxena called the expansion an important step in providing more meaningful international competition. He said the mix of Full and Associate Members will give players experience in a high-performance environment.
What to Watch
Three analytical questions stand out. How many Associate teams will reach the Super Six? How much will net run rate shape qualification? And will the 2025 champion Thailand's group, which includes Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, produce another close finish?
With 30 matches in 14 days, the tournament offers a large sample of results for the T20I rankings and for assessing the women's pathway.