The ICC Women’s Championship is not a tournament you watch in one month. It is a four-year ODI league, and the three ODIs in South Africa in December are three of India’s 24 league matches.
That is why they count. They are not friendlies, and they are not a warm-up for the T20Is. They are Championship points, towards the 2029 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
What is the ICC Women’s Championship?
The ICC Women’s Championship is a multi-year ODI competition, and the primary qualification pathway for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Its fourth edition runs from 2025 to 2029, and has expanded to 11 teams, with Zimbabwe joining the established teams.
The 11 teams are India, South Africa, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Format:
Each team plays one three-match ODI series against eight of the other ten teams. Every side hosts four series and travels for four away series, meaning each team plays 24 Championship matches. In total, 132 ODIs will be played in 44 series of three matches each, with four series at home and four away per team.
Tours may also include T20Is and Tests, but only the designated ODIs count towards the Championship standings. That is why the Only Test on 9-12 December, and the T20Is on 26, 29 and 30 December, do not count towards the Championship, even though they are on the same tour. Only the three ODIs count.
Cycle end:
The Championship is scheduled to conclude on 28 February 2029, which is the qualification cut-off date.
Points — 2 for a win, 1 for a tie or no-result
Teams are awarded two points for a win, one point for a tie or no result or an abandoned match, with the loser collecting no points.
- Win: 2 points.
- Tie, no-result or abandoned: 1 point each.
- Loss: 0 points.
Tie-breakers, in order:
If teams finish level on points, the standings are decided by greatest number of wins, then highest net run rate across all Championship matches, then most points in head-to-head matches, then highest net run rate in head-to-head matches. If no method produces a distinction, the original seeding will decide the order. Net run rate does not apply to no-result matches.
That is different from the men’s World Test Championship, which is ranked by PCT, points percentage. The Women’s Championship is ranked by points, then wins, then net run rate. Do not use PCT for the Women’s Championship.
Why do the South Africa ODIs count?
The three ODIs, December 2026:
- 1st ODI: 16 December, Paarl.
- 2nd ODI: 19 December, Newlands, Cape Town.
- 3rd ODI: 22 December, Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein.
These three ODIs are India’s away Championship series against South Africa, as part of the eight three-match series India play in the cycle, four at home and four away. India play one series against eight of the other ten teams, so not every team plays every other team in the cycle. South Africa is one of India’s eight opponents.
What is at stake in each ODI:
Each ODI is worth 2 points for a win, 1 point each for a tie or no-result, 0 for a loss. A 3-0 win in South Africa gives India 6 points. A 2-1 win gives India 4 points, and South Africa 2 points. A 1-1 series with one no-result gives India 3 points, and South Africa 3 points. A 0-3 loss gives India 0 points, and South Africa 6 points.
What is at stake in the series:
A series win away from home, against South Africa, is worth more than a series win at home, because away series are harder, and because India have only four away series in the whole cycle. South Africa, at home, in December, is one of the hardest away series India will play in the cycle.
For readers following the tour through cricbet, the same rule applies: the three ODIs in South Africa count towards the Championship, the Test and the T20Is do not, and each ODI is worth 2 points for a win. It is a gaming and betting-related platform, not an official broadcaster, and any betting-related features are for adults only, where legally permitted. Use responsibly and check local rules, as betting law in India varies by state. For live scores, check the official broadcast listing closer to the tour, rather than relying on an October listing.
Qualification for the 2029 Women’s Cricket World Cup
The 2029 Women’s Cricket World Cup will feature an expanded 10-team structure.
The top eight teams, the top seven ranked teams plus the host or hosts, will automatically qualify for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2029. The remaining three teams will take part in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2029 Qualifier.
The three lowest-ranked teams from the Championship table will go to a six-team ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, joined by three additional teams from the global ODI rankings, to shoot out for the final two remaining World Cup berths.
In simple terms:
- Top 7, plus the host: qualify directly, 8 teams.
- Bottom 3: go to the Qualifier, with 3 other teams, for 2 more places, 10 teams total.
- The Qualifier is not a safety net. It is a six-team tournament, for two places. A team that finishes 8th, 9th, 10th or 11th in the Championship has to win a qualifier to reach the World Cup.
That is why every ODI counts, even in December 2026, more than two years before the cut-off on 28 February 2029. A team that loses points early has to win more points later, in fewer matches, to catch up.
What to check, before and after the South Africa ODIs
Before the series:
Check the ICC Women’s Championship table, on icc-cricket.com, closer to 9 December, for India’s and South Africa’s points, wins, and net run rate, before the series. Do not use a table from August 2026 as the current table in December. The table changes after every Championship series, and India and South Africa may have played other Championship series since August.
After each ODI:
Update the table after each ODI, not just after the series. After the 1st ODI on 16 December, add 2 points to the winner, 0 to the loser, or 1 point each if it is a tie or no-result. After the 2nd ODI on 19 December, do the same. After the 3rd ODI on 22 December, do the same, and check the series points: 6-0, 4-2, 3-3, 2-4, or 0-6.
After the series:
Check the tie-breakers, if India and South Africa are level on points with another team. Wins first, then net run rate across all Championship matches, then head-to-head points, then head-to-head net run rate. Do not rank by points alone, if two teams are level.
What does not count:
The Only Test on 9-12 December, at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, does not count towards the Championship. The T20Is on 26, 29 and 30 December, in Benoni and Potchefstroom, do not count towards the Championship. Only the designated ODIs count.
Mandhana’s first away Championship series
Smriti Mandhana is India women’s full-time white-ball captain, appointed 6 October 2026, after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down across formats. This is Mandhana’s first away series as full-time white-ball captain, after a 6-0 home series against Zimbabwe in October 2026: 3-0 in T20Is in Raipur, 3-0 in ODIs in Vadodara, finishing with an eight-wicket win on 28 October 2026.
Mandhana is confirmed only as white-ball captain. Test captaincy for the Only Test on 9-12 December is not confirmed, and should be checked in the squad announcement, rather than assumed. The BCCI had not announced the South Africa tour squad as of 31 October 2026.
The Zimbabwe ODIs in October were also Championship ODIs, as part of India’s home series in the cycle. The South Africa ODIs in December are India’s away Championship series, against a team that was seeded second, based on the 2025 World Cup standings, with India seeded first. That seeding is not the current table. Check the current table closer to 9 December, for India’s and South Africa’s points before the series.
FAQs
What is the ICC Women’s Championship?
A multi-year ODI league, from 2025 to 2029, with 11 teams, each playing 24 ODIs in eight three-match series, four at home and four away, as the primary qualification pathway for the 2029 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
How many points for a win?
2 points for a win, 1 point each for a tie, no-result or abandoned match, 0 for a loss.
Why do the South Africa ODIs count?
They are India’s away three-match ODI series in the Championship cycle, against South Africa, one of India’s eight opponents. Only designated ODIs count, not Tests or T20Is.
How many teams qualify directly for the 2029 World Cup?
Top eight teams, top seven plus the host or hosts, qualify directly. The bottom three go to the Qualifier, for two more places, in a 10-team World Cup.
When does the Championship end?
28 February 2029, the qualification cut-off date.
When are the South Africa ODIs?
1st ODI: 16 December, Paarl. 2nd ODI: 19 December, Newlands, Cape Town. 3rd ODI: 22 December, Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein.
Do the Test and T20Is count?
No. Only the designated ODIs count towards the Championship standings.
Verdict
The South Africa ODIs count because they are Championship points, towards the 2029 World Cup.
Each ODI is worth 2 points for a win, 1 point each for a tie or no-result, 0 for a loss. A 3-0 win gives India 6 points. A 0-3 loss gives India 0 points, and South Africa 6 points. The top seven, plus the host, qualify directly. The bottom three go to the Qualifier, for two more places.
For anyone who has seen the phrase King exchange ID in tour coverage, the same rule applies: it is a gaming and betting-related term, not a Championship point, a table position, or a World Cup qualification. The Championship is decided by 2 points for a win, 1 for a tie or no-result, and the table on 28 February 2029 — with the South Africa ODIs on 16, 19 and 22 December as three of India’s 24 league matches.
Check the ICC table closer to 9 December, and update it after each ODI.
