The Ireland women’s cricket team has been part of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on multiple occasions, participating in the tournaments held in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2023. Their consistent presence in this marquee ICC tournament demonstrates Ireland’s commitment to women’s cricket and their efforts to compete at the highest level. Ireland’s repeated qualification for the T20 World Cup indicates their growing reputation in women’s cricket. These appearances have given Irish players valuable experience on the international stage and have contributed to the development of the sport in Ireland.
2014, Group Stage
In the 2013 ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier hosted by Ireland, they were placed in Group B with Sri Lanka, Canada, and Japan. Ireland advanced to the semi-final but lost to Pakistan. However, they won the third-place play-off match against the Netherlands, securing a spot in the 2014 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. In the World Cup, they were placed in Group A with Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Pakistan. Unfortunately, they were unable to win any matches and finished at the bottom of the table.
2016, Group Stage
The 2015 ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier was hosted by Thailand. Ireland was placed in Group B alongside Zimbabwe, China, and the Netherlands. They won all their matches, finishing at the top of the group with 6 points and advancing to the semi-final. In the semi-final, Ireland easily defeated Scotland by 9 wickets. They then beat Bangladesh in the final, securing entry to the 2016 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. In the World Cup, they were placed in Group A alongside New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. Ireland struggled to showcase their skills, failed to win any matches, and finished at the bottom of the table.
2018, Group Stage
The 2018 ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier was hosted by the Netherlands. Ireland was placed in Group B alongside Scotland, Uganda, and Thailand, where they finished first by winning all their matches. In the semi-final, Ireland unfortunately lost to Papua New Guinea by 6 wickets and then lost to Bangladesh by 25 runs in the final but finished the tournament as runners-up, qualifying for the World Cup. In the World Cup, Ireland was placed in Group B alongside India, Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan. They were unable to win any matches and finished at the bottom of the table with 0 points.
2023, Group Stage
The 2022 ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier was hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ireland was placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Scotland, and the United States of America (USA). They won 2 out of 3 matches and finished second in the points table. In the knockouts, Ireland faced Zimbabwe in the semi-final and won by a narrow margin of 4 runs. They advanced to the final against Bangladesh, where they were defeated by 7 runs. Both teams qualified for the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. In this tournament, Ireland was placed in Group B alongside England, India, West Indies, and Pakistan. Once again, Ireland was unable to win any of their group matches and finished at the bottom of the table.
