The International Cricket Council has stripped Sri Lanka of hosting rights for the inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy scheduled for February 2027, citing ongoing issues with government involvement in cricket administration.

Sri Lanka will not host the inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy after the International Cricket Council determined that governance concerns with Sri Lanka Cricket warranted relocating the six-team tournament, according to the Sunday Times. The event had been scheduled for February 14 to 28, 2027, but will now be held in an undetermined location to be selected at the ICC Board's next meeting.

The Transformation Committee Secretary Prakash Shaffter confirmed to the Sunday Times that the tournament has been moved from Sri Lanka, though details about the new venue remain unclear. The decision reflects the ICC's longstanding dissatisfaction with Sri Lanka Cricket's current administration, which is overseen by a government-appointed Transformation Committee tasked with implementing governance reforms. The ICC has barred SLC representatives from attending Board meetings since the committee assumed control and has repeatedly called for elections to be held promptly.

The relocation carries significant consequences for Sri Lanka's cricket ecosystem. The country faces potential financial losses from tournament revenue, including income from participating teams, officials, broadcasters, spectators, and tourism activities. Additionally, Sri Lanka's participation in the competition itself may be jeopardized. Since the tournament format includes the top five ranked teams plus the host nation, and Sri Lanka currently ranks sixth, qualification could become uncertain if the new host nation ranks outside the existing top six.

This marks the second major tournament Sri Lanka has lost hosting rights for in recent years. The country was previously stripped of hosting the 2024 ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup following an ICC suspension of SLC in 2023, with that event subsequently moved to South Africa. The ICC has not yet made an official public announcement regarding the tournament relocation or confirmed the new host country.