Cricket West Indies starts 2026 Rising Stars Women's U‑19 Championship in Antigua

Cricket West Indies (CWI) opened the 2026 Rising Stars Women’s Under‑19 Championship in Antigua on 8 August, running through 15 August. Six regional teams – Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands and Guyana – compete in a T20 format, with defending champions Barbados seeking a double after winning the men’s Under‑19 50‑over title.

The tournament serves as a talent‑identification platform for the 2027 ICC Under‑19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. CWI High‑Performance Manager Dwain Gill said the event will help build a competitive squad for the global tournament. Following the competition, a two‑week high‑performance camp (16‑30 August) at the Coolidge Cricket Ground will select twenty standout players for intensive technical, tactical, physical and mental development.

CWI views the championship as a key part of its strategy to grow women’s cricket across the Caribbean.