Women's T20 World Cup: England's Heather Knight says landscape of women’s sport different to 2017 and targets legacy like Lionesses, Red Roses

Heather Knight has told Sky Sports England’s ambition at their home Women’s T20 World Cup starting in June is to “create a real legacy for women’s cricket in this country,” emulating the Lionesses and Red Roses.

England are hosting the tournament for the first time since 2009 – a World Cup they won – while the women’s side also succeeded in delivering home glory in the 50-over Cricket World Cup format in 2017 – a tournament Knight was captain at.

The 35-year-old says the landscape of women’s sport has changed considerably in the years since, with England’s Lionesses winning back-to-back Euros titles in 2022 and 2025 – the first in front of a sold-out Wembley – and the Red Roses securing the Rugby World Cup title at a Twickenham full house last September.

“The focus now is women’s cricket at the World Cup so it’s really exciting, not too far away now and a chance for us to do something really special as a side,” Knight told Sky Sports.

“I would say it’s once in a career, but this is probably going to be my second [home tournament] hopefully all going well, and it’s just really special playing at home, friends and family all able to come, you’re very familiar with the grounds and the conditions and obviously you have that home support which is crucial.

“It was huge for us in 2017, the way the crowds built and the final at Lord’s, it’s super special.

“It’s a chance to have a real impact on the sport in your country and leave a legacy. If we do our job right and have success this summer we can leave a real legacy on the sport of women’s cricket in this country.

“It took a little bit of time for that success to see changes and I think the landscape is very different now and – particularly in women’s cricket – there’s the structure beneath the game, the domestic game’s professional. It’s a lot more normal to be a women’s cricketer, there’s a lot more visibility.

“You’d hope now if we have that success and things go well for us the structures are in place to make the most of it and really make it a huge moment. We’ve seen what the Lionesses and Red Roses have done, I’ve followed those very closely and know some of the players.

“We want to do something similar and hopefully inspire kids to make a girl in cricket really normal and really great.”

The England Women’s cricket side has struggled for form recently, but Knight added they are determined to enter a World Cup on home soil with gusto and tackle everything that comes with it.

“The mood’s really good, we haven’t had a huge amount of cricket this winter since that 50-over World Cup so we’re actually itching to get out together as an England side, get the feel of international cricket again and build towards that T20 World Cup.

“It’ll be really fun to get back together as a group and try and get really clear on how we’re going to play and the roles we’re going to play, things like that.

“Trying to embrace the pressure of a home T20 World Cup, it’s going to be really important, I’m sure we’ll have lots of conversations leading into the competition about how we’re going to deal with that and how we’re going to maximise it and really attack that tournament.”

History made as over 236,000 children take part in UK’s biggest ever schools cricket day

With 50 days to go until the World Cup, over 236,000 children from over 1,350 schools across the UK picked up a bat and ball as part of Schools Cricket Day on Thursday – the largest single-day cricket participation event in UK history.

At the heart of the celebrations, Knight joined over 200 girls and boys at a vibrant cricket festival hosted at Raynes Park Sports Ground in London, taking part in cricket drills and matches and meeting aspiring young players.

The day also featured bespoke resources and games created by the ICC’s global charity partner, UNICEF, through its ‘Rights in Play’ programme. The games, which were integrated into the day’s activities, focused on increasing understanding of child rights through play and participation in cricket.

ICC chairman Jay Shah, said: “It is fantastic to see the excitement building across the UK ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. Schools Cricket Day, marking 50 days to go, has brought thousands of children into the game, many of whom may be taking their very first steps in cricket today.

“Expanding this year’s tournament from 10 to 12 teams reflects our commitment to growing the women’s game globally and creating more opportunities for players and fans alike.

“We look forward to welcoming these young participants and their families to the stadiums this summer, where they can watch their heroes and be inspired to dream bigger.”

ECB head of strategic growth, Gemma Barton, said: “Moments like this show how the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is shaping the future of the game.

“Every girl and boy inspired to pick up a bat and ball today can see how inclusive, welcoming and fun cricket is. It’s not just about the summer ahead, it’s about what comes next: more girls playing, more teams growing, and more people feeling like they belong in the game.”

Record total prize fund for Women’s T20 World Cup

The ICC announced a 10 per cent increase from 2024 in the total prize fund for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales this summer.

This year’s winners will win $2.34m (£1.74m) with the runners up taking home $1.17m (£871,024), the same earnings as the last edition, however all participating teams are guaranteed to receive a minimum of $247,500 (£184,245), more than double what was assured to each team in 2024.

While the winners and runners-up prize pot remains the same as in 2024, notably, there was a 134-per-cent increase in prize money for the top two teams that year compared to 2023 when it was held in Australia.

When New Zealand took the top prize in 2024, winning their first T20 World Cup, the total prize pot for the tournament stood at $7.958m (£5.926m), but with the expansion to 12 teams the prize money has also grown to a pot of $8,765m (£6.528m).

“The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is set to be a landmark moment for the game – on course to become the most attended women’s cricket event in history, with record-breaking ticket demand and the largest-ever prize pot for a global women’s T20 competition,” said tournament director Beth Barrett-Wild.

Total prize money breakdown

Winners: $2,340,000 (£1,742,238.11)

Runners up: $1,170,000 (£871,119.05)

Losing semi-finalists: $675,000 (£502,568.68)

Group match win: $31,154 (£23,195.59)

Assured prize pot for all 12 teams: $247,500 (£184,275.18)

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