2026 Womens' T20 World Cup pundit predictions: How far will England go, who will be their star player and which other nations could spring a surprise?

Who will win the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup? How will England fare? And who will finish as the leading wicket-taker and top run-scorer?

The group that they found themselves in is very favourable when you consider that Australia, India and South Africa are all in the opposite group.

My feeling is that they'll be playing Australia or India in the semi-finals, where all bets are off.

England have beaten them, and other teams of a similar level with regularity in bilateral series, but it's in the big tournaments, when it really matters, that they've recently been found wanting.

She is such a consistent player, very rarely does she go through a lean patch. I see her having a huge impact, and if England are going to win it, she'll need to have a good tournament.

Linsey Smith also has an incredible record in T20 cricket, particularly in the powerplay, and I think Charlie Dean is a brilliant all-round cricketer.

They've got plenty of players who can win a T20 game on their own.

We know what Nat Sciver-Brunt can do but, finally, England have got some other all-rounders in those two and I think their addition could make the biggest difference.

They've got a new captain in Sophie Molineux, so she'll be under a little bit of pressure, but they're still a very, very strong side.

They've missed out at the last two world events, so they'll be very keen to put that right.

They are slight underdogs, as they are in the tough group, but I think they have the potential to probably pip India to the post in getting through to the semi-finals.

They made the last two T20 World Cup finals, as well as the 50-over final just gone. I just have a feeling this is their time.

They've got quite a few players who play in our domestic system, so it's almost like a home World Cup for them as well.

They could be a very dangerous side. Chamari Atapattu, in particular, has the ability to win games by herself. They might squeak into the final four.