Kigali [Rwanda], April 17 (ANI): Kigali is set to witness a significant step forward in the growth of women's cricket as the International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the inaugural Women's T20I Challenge Trophy, set to start on April 18 in Rwanda.

The five-team tournament will open with hosts Rwanda taking on Italy, while Nepal face the United States on the same day. Vanuatu, the fifth side in the competition, will begin their campaign on April 19 against Rwanda after a first-day bye. Matches will be played across two adjoining grounds at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium.

Designed as a double round-robin event, the tournament will run until May 2, offering participating teams a valuable platform to gain competitive international exposure, according to ICC.

The competition is part of ICC's broader initiative to strengthen pathways for Associate Member nations, complementing other events such as the Emerging Nations Trophy introduced last year.

The participating teams earned their spots through strong performances in the 2025 regional Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers, with each side representing one of the ICC's five regions and narrowly missing out on qualification for the Emerging Nations Trophy.

Nepal and the USA enter the tournament as early favourites, having featured in the recent Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier earlier this year. Nepal, currently ranked 21st in the ICC Women's T20I rankings, are the highest-ranked side in the competition.

Meanwhile, Vanuatu could prove to be a dark horse. Ranked 30th, they showcased their potential by defeating higher-ranked Indonesia during the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Fiji, securing their place in this tournament.

The Challenge Trophy comes at a time when women's cricket is undergoing rapid expansion globally. The Women's T20 World Cup is set to grow to 12 teams in 2026, with further expansion to 16 teams confirmed for the 2030 edition.

ICC Women's T20I Challenge Trophy - Schedule

April 189:00 am - Rwanda vs Italy1:00 pm - Nepal vs USA

April 199:00 am - Rwanda vs Vanuatu1:00 pm - Italy vs Nepal

April 219:00 am - Rwanda vs USA1:00 pm - Vanuatu vs Italy

April 229:00 am - Rwanda vs Nepal1:00 pm - USA vs Vanuatu

April 249:00 am - Nepal vs Vanuatu1:00 pm - Italy vs USA

April 269:00 am - Rwanda vs Vanuatu1:00 pm - USA vs Nepal

April 279:00 am - Rwanda vs Italy1:00 pm - USA vs Vanuatu

April 289:00 am - Rwanda vs Nepal1:00 pm - Italy vs Vanuatu

April 39:00 am - Italy vs USA1:00 pm - Nepal vs Vanuatu

May 19:00 am - Rwanda vs USA1:00 pm - Italy vs Nepal

All matches will take place at Gahanga Cricket Stadium's two grounds in Kigali. (ANI)