2024–2026 Cricket World Cup Challenge League
The 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League[1] is the second edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League and a cricket tournament which forms part of the 2027 Cricket World Cup qualification process.[2]
| Dates | 25 September 2024 – 2026 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | International Cricket Council |
| Cricket format | List A |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin |
| Host(s) |
 Hong Kong (2025) |
| Participants | 12 |
| Matches | 90 |
Teams and qualification
edit
The league features twelve teams: those finishing 2nd–4th in their respective league in the 2019–2022 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League, the top four finishers from 2024 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League Play-off[3] and two teams from the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.[4][5]
That tournament saw Canada, winner of League A in the previous Challenge League being promoted to League 2 status, while Papua New Guinea was relegated. The other Challenge League winner, Jersey, was not successful in obtaining promotion. The top 2 teams from both groups A and B will secure a spot at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff.[6]
| Method of qualification | Date of qualification | Venues | Number of teams | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Qualifier Play-off | 26 March – 5 April 2023 | Namibia | 2 |
 Jersey
|
 Papua New Guinea
| ||||
| 2019–2022 Challenge League | 16 September 2019 – 13 December 2022 | Various | 6 |
 Denmark
|
| Hong Kong
| ||||
 Kenya
| ||||
 Qatar
| ||||
 Singapore
| ||||
 Uganda
| ||||
| 2024 Challenge League Play-off | 22 February – 3 March 2024 | Malaysia | 4 |
 Bahrain
|
 Italy
| ||||
 Kuwait
| ||||
 Tanzania
| ||||
| Total | 12 |
Points table
editLeague A
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jersey
|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1.776 |
| 2 | Papua New Guinea
|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1.342 |
| 3 | Kuwait
|
5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −0.777 |
| 4 | Kenya
|
5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0.087 |
| 5 | Denmark
|
5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | −0.985 |
| 6 | Qatar
|
5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | −1.630 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Wins; 3) Net run rate; 4) Results of games between tied teams
League B
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uganda
|
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2.874 |
| 2 | Italy
|
5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2.237 |
| 3 | Hong Kong
|
5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | −0.535 |
| 4 | Bahrain
|
5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −0.287 |
| 5 | Tanzania
|
5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | −2.328 |
| 6 | Singapore
|
5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | −2.356 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Wins; 3) Net run rate; 4) Results of games between tied teams
Fixtures
editEach group is scheduled to play three times in a single round-robin tournament format, once each year from 2024 to 2026. This amounts to 15 matches per team and a total of 90 matches.[9]
| League | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 25 September – 5 October 2024 | Kenya | |
| B | 6–16 November 2024 | Uganda | |
| A | 2025 | Jersey | |
| B | February 2025 | Hong Kong |
References
edit- ^ "CWC League 2 and Challenge League cycle to continue for 2027 world cup qualification". Czarsportz. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Details of 2027 World Cup Qualification pathway revealed". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualification Pathway Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF). International Cricket Council. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ "Everything you need to know about the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Race for League 2 top three set for thrilling climax after Nepal tri-series clean sweep". Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Groups announced for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League". International Cricket Council. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "Challenge League A 2024 - Points Table". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Challenge League B 2024 - Points Table". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "Cricket Kenya to host first round of CWC Challange League group in September 2024". Czarsportz Global. Retrieved 15 August 2024.