Heather Knight recently sat down with Sky Sports to discuss England's ambitious plans for the upcoming home Women's T20 World Cup, which kicks off in June. The central aim, she explained, is to "create a genuine legacy for women's cricket in this nation," mirroring the success stories of the Lionesses in football and the Red Roses in rugby.
England will host the tournament for the first time since the 2009 edition—a competition they won on home soil. The women's cricket team also celebrated a historic triumph in the 50‑over World Cup in 2017, a tournament captained by Knight herself.
Reflecting on those milestones, the 35‑year‑old captain noted that the overall landscape of women's sport has transformed dramatically over the intervening years. She pointed out that the Lionesses clinched back‑to‑back European Championships in 2022 and 2025, the latter played in front of a sold‑out Wembley Stadium. Meanwhile, the Red Roses captured the Rugby World Cup title at a packed Twickenham in September of last year.
"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. Knight described the upcoming tournament as a once‑in‑a‑career opportunity, adding that it would be her second home World Cup if everything goes to plan. "Playing at home is incredibly special – friends and family can attend, we know the grounds and conditions, and the home support is crucial," she said. She recalled the electric atmosphere of the 2017 final at Lord's, where the crowd grew steadily and the event felt "super special." The captain emphasized the broader impact they hope to achieve: "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." She urged fans to stream the matches for free on the Sky Sports app and highlighted the accompanying Sky Sports Cricket podcast and upcoming features such as the Capsey spotlight for 2026. Knight also reflected on how success has gradually reshaped the women's game.
"It took a little bit of time for that success to see changes and I think the landscape is very different now – 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." She expressed confidence that the existing structures will allow the team to capitalise on any achievements: "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." Despite a recent dip in form, Knight insisted the squad is eager to regroup and embrace the challenge of a home World Cup.
"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." She added that managing the pressure of a home tournament will be a key focus: "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." The excitement extends beyond the players.
With just 50 days left until the tournament, more than 236,000 children from over 1,350 schools across the United Kingdom took part in Schools Cricket Day, the largest single‑day cricket participation event in UK history. Knight joined over 200 boys and girls at a vibrant cricket festival held at Raynes Park Sports Ground in London, taking part in drills, matches, and meet‑and‑greets with aspiring youngsters. The day also featured specially designed resources and games created by the ICC's global charity partner UNICEF through its "Rights in Play" programme.
These activities aimed to teach children about their rights while they enjoyed cricket, reinforcing the sport's role in fostering inclusion and empowerment. ICC Chairman Jay Shah commented on the growing enthusiasm: "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." Gemma Barton, ECB head of strategic growth, echoed that sentiment: "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." Financially, the ICC announced a 10 percent increase in the total prize fund for the 2026 tournament compared with 2024. The champions will receive $2.34 million (£1.74 million), while the runners‑up will collect $1.17 million (£871,000).
All twelve participating nations are guaranteed a minimum of $247,500 (£184,000), more than double the amount promised to each side in 2024. Although the top‑two prize amounts remain unchanged from the previous edition, there was a striking 134‑percent jump in prize money for the finalists between 2023 and 2024.
When New Zealand secured their first T20 World Cup title in 2024, the total prize pool stood at $7.958 million (£5.926 million). With the expansion to twelve teams for 2026, the pool has risen to $8.765 million (£6.528 million). Tournament director Beth Barrett‑Wild highlighted the event's historic potential: "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." Prize distribution details are as follows: - Winners: $2,340,000 (£1,742,238) - Runners‑up: $1,170,000 (£871,119) - Losing semi‑finalists: $675,000 (£502,569) - Group‑match win: $31,154 (£23,196) - Guaranteed minimum for each of the 12 teams: $247,500 (£184,275) In summary, Heather Knight and her England teammates are poised to harness the momentum generated by recent successes in women's sport, the surge in grassroots participation, and the enhanced financial incentives to deliver a memorable home World Cup. Their ambition is not only to win matches but to cement a lasting legacy that inspires the next generation of girls to view cricket as a natural, exciting, and achievable pursuit.