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The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 is set to be hosted by India after Sri Lanka were stripped of the hosting of the competition following the government's involvement in the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) administration. The International Cricket Council (ICC) took away their hosting rights following the continuous involvement of the government. After that, SLC was set to suffer a huge loss.
The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on February 14, 2027, and run until February 28, 2027. Six teams have been confirmed for the tournament, with India as host, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. This is a massive moment for India to host the first edition of the Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka set to face a huge loss
As per reports from NDTV, Sri Lanka is set to bear a loss of USD 20 million (around INR 188 crore) after the ICC took away their hosting rights. The apex body had previously warned the island nation over its concerns about political involvement within the SLC, as it has not formed a committee and have been run by a government-appointed Transformation Committee rather than an elected administration.
Previously, the Interim Committee chairman Eran Wickremaratna stated that they are committed to changing the foundation so that the elected administration is accepted by the ICC, but they failed to do it on time and thus lost the hosting rights. Wickremaratna has been in the position after being appointed by the country's Sports Ministry.
As per reports by Daily Mirror from the Island country, it stated that the apex body already warned the SLC that its hosting rights would be taken away unless its issues surrounding political interference were resolved and long-pending board elections were conducted.
Have Sri Lanka previously being banned?
However, the report further stated that despite repeatedly stating the issue, the interim board did not convey the same to the Sports Ministry and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake until recently. Now, according to the report, the country will have to bear a loss of INR 188 crore in their potential revenue.
This is not the first time that the SLC have been involved in an off-field issue with the ICC. They were previously suspended from attending board meetings back in 2023 following the same issue that have been ongoing currently in their cricket board. The apex body barred them from attending any meetings. They moved the 2024 Men's Under-19 World Cup to South Africa.
Will Sri Lanka play in the Champions Trophy?
Three years later, the same issue continues, and the Island Nation have yet to address the same underlying issue. The interim committee is set to hold a meeting before the end of 2026 to form a new permanent committee, the report said, "if parliamentary procedures proceed without significant delays."
The six teams will face each other in a round-robin style. The top two teams will advance to the finals on February 28. Despite the loss of hosting rights, the Island Nation's spot in the competition will stay intact if they finish among the top six teams.
