Scotland’s women’s Cricket team may not advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, but they have an important goal in their final group match.
The team is looking to secure direct qualification for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup in Pakistan. With 12 teams expected in the next edition, positioning in the group stage is vital. Currently, Scotland is fifth in Group 2 and will face fourth-placed Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team in their last game.
A win against Sri Lanka could greatly enhance their chances for automatic qualification. In Group 1, Australia, India, South Africa, and Bangladesh hold the top four spots, which are likely to remain unchanged.
Group 2, however, is still competitive. England, West Indies, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka occupy the leading four positions. Scotland trails Sri Lanka and New Zealand by a narrow margin in net run rate, making a victory possible for them to move into qualifying spots.
The fact that Pakistan automatically qualifies as the host adds complexity. Only one other team will qualify based on the ICC Women’s T20I rankings.
Currently, Ireland is ranked ninth, followed by Bangladesh in tenth and Scotland in 11th. If the current rankings determine qualification, Scotland would miss out, even after a win against Ireland earlier in the tournament.
Thus, achieving a top-four finish in Group 2 is Scotland’s clearest path to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup. They will also need to improve their ranking before the qualification cut-off.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands, ranked 14th, will likely have to navigate through the global pathway for qualification, while Ireland may also be in a similar situation. Only two teams will advance through the Global Qualifier for the 2028 tournament.
In contrast, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands qualified for the 2026 tournament through the qualification process, indicating the tougher journey ahead for the next Women’s T20 World Cup.
The pathways for the 12 teams in the 2028 tournament are as follows:
- The top eight teams from the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup (top four from each Super Six group)
- The host nation Pakistan, if not already qualified
- The highest-ranked team on the ICC Women’s T20I rankings as of July 6, 2026, not already qualified
- Two teams from the Global Qualifier