New Delhi, 29 October (H.S.): The second edition of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy will feature 10 teams, up from eight in the inaugural edition, with the tournament scheduled to take place in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, from November 12 to 25. For the first time, five ICC Full Member nations will participate in the competition, marking a significant step towards expanding opportunities and strengthening the development pathway in women’s cricket.

Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will represent the Full Members, while the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates will compete as Associate Members. All matches will be played at the Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground and the Seven Districts Sports Club in Ajman.

The 10 teams have been divided into two groups of five. Following the group stage, the top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, after which the top two sides will qualify for the final. The format was adopted following a recommendation from the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee and approval by the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee.

Group A comprises Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. Group B features Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Thailand and Zimbabwe.

Gaurav Saxena, the ICC’s General Manager of Events and Operations, said expanding the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy to 10 teams was an important step towards providing emerging sides with more meaningful international competition.

He said the participation of five Full Members and five Associate Members would give players opportunities to test themselves against a wider range of opponents and gain valuable experience in a high-performance environment.

Gaurav Saxena added that the ICC looked forward to welcoming all participating teams to Ajman for the second edition of the tournament.

The inaugural edition of the competition was held in 2025, with Thailand winning the title on home soil. Thailand, Scotland, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates finished level on points, with net run rate determining their final positions.

The tournament also provided a platform for several players to make notable individual contributions. Following the competition, a number of players improved their positions in the ICC Women’s T20 International Player Rankings, highlighting the importance of providing emerging teams with regular opportunities to compete at a high international level.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar