5 from 2009 to 2026: The 5 greatest Women's T20 World Cup players still standing

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 05 with England and Sri Lanka playing the curtain raiser at Edgbaston in Birmingham. This year’s tournament is the 10th edition of the event as New Zealand start as the defending champions of the 2026 season, after winning the last final against South Africa in Dubai. 

A total of 12 teams will be taking part in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The sides have been divided into two groups of six teams, as a clinical performance is expected from all the teams.

• Group A- Bangladesh, Australia, India, Netherlands, Pakistan, and South Africa.  
• Group B- England, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.

The very first season of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009 also took place in England when the hosts claimed the title. Australia sit at the top with six trophies, the most, in the history of the Women’s World Cup. The rest of the trophies have gone to the Kiwis in 2024, while the West Indies side handed Australia a defeat in 2016.

Five players, 17 years, every edition — The Women's T20 WC legends still going in 2026

In the 17 years through the nine editions of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, there are a few players who have played in both the 2009 edition and the 2026 edition of the tournament. This is an incredible achievement from the players, who have shown their ability and incredible fitness to be part of the national side for such a long period.

#1 Ellyse Perry (Australia)- 503 runs & 40 wickets in WT20 World Cup history

Ellyse Perry was part of the very first edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009. With the bat, she managed only four runs in that season in two innings. Meanwhile, with the ball, the right-arm medium pacer was the joint second leading wicket-taker of the season with two wickets in four innings at an economy rate of 7.45. 

See Also: 5 best bowlers to watch in Women's T20 World Cup 2026 — Top wicket-takers & players to follow

Perry’s best edition of the tournament came in 2010. There was yet so batting stability from the all-rounder, who collected only six runs in two innings with the bat besides picking up eight wickets in five innings at an economy rate of 5.21. The Australia player was adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ in the final against New Zealand for bowling the final over of the defense under pressure. 

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCBW) star has overall smashed 503 runs in 30 innings of the Women’s T20 World Cup at a strike rate of 113.80. On the other hand, she is the fourth leading wicket-taker of the competition before the 2026 season, having pocketed 40 wickets in 42 innings at an economy rate of 5.79.

#2 Harmanpreet Kaur (India)- 726 runs in 33 innings of Women’s T20 WC history

One of the most veteran players of Indian cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur, was also part of the inaugural edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009 and will lead the side in the upcoming 2026 edition of the competition. 

The right-handed young batter batted in two innings of the event and ended up with eight runs at a strike rate of 100. But her best campaign of the event came in 2018 when the competition was held in the West Indies. The Punjab-born finished the season as the leading run-getter of the blue brigade with 183 runs in five innings at an average of 45.75 and a strike rate of 160.52, thanks to one century.

See Also: ICC Women's T20 World Cup all-time winners list & history — Every champion from 2009 to 2024

Her knock of 103 runs came in the opening clash of the side against New Zealand. Under her leadership, India reached the finals of the 2020 season of the T20 World Cup and ended up as the runners-up, losing the final to Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Overall, Harmanpreet is the tenth leading run-getter of the competition before the 2026 edition. She has bagged 726 runs in 33 innings at an average of 25.03 and a decent strike rate of 112.21, thanks to four half-centuries and one century at the best score of 103 runs.

#3 Deandra Dottin (West Indies)- 770 runs & 31 wickets in WT20 World Cup history

Deandra Dottin is one of the players to feature in both the very first edition and the recent season of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009 and 2026. In the 2009 edition, Dottin finished as the West Indies’ second leading run-getter with 60 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 193.54, thanks to nine boundaries and a couple of sixes.

On the other hand, she backed up the good performance in the very next season in 2010 at home with a thrilling knock of unbeaten 112 runs to finish the campaign at a strike rate of 213.20.

See Also: Most Wickets in Women's T20 World Cup History — All-Time Top Bowlers List Updated 2026

When the veteran won the title in 2016, beating Australia in the final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Dottin finished as their third-highest run-getter of the season with 129 runs in six innings at an average of 25.80 and a strike rate of 115.17. With the ball, she was the leading wicket-taker of the season with nine scalps in six innings at an economy rate of 6.42 and a fine strike rate of 12.60.

The Barbados-born 34-year-old all-rounder has deposited 770 runs in 34 innings of the Women’s T20 World Cup to be the sixth leading run-getter at a strike rate of 127.90, thanks to three half-centuries and one century. With the ball, the West Indies-star has picked up 31 wickets in just 20 innings at an average of 11.45 and a fine economy rate of little more than five. 

#4 Suzie Bates (New Zealand)- 1216 runs in 42 innings of WT20 World Cup history

Even from the very first season of the Women’s T20 World Cup, Suzie Bates has been a consistent performer for the New Zealand side. In the inaugural edition of the event in 2009, Bates finished as their second leading run-getter of the event with 136 runs in five innings at an average of 34 and a strike rate of 107.08 with the help of one half-century.

Bates’ best season with the bat came in 2018 in the Caribbean when she finished the event as the fourth leading run-getter. The right-handed batter smashed 161 runs in four innings at an average of more than 40 and a strike rate of 120, with one fifty at the best score of 67 runs.

Over the years, the New Zealand veteran has broken several records and is the leading run-getter before the 2026 season of the Women’s T20 World Cup. She has deposited 1216 runs in 42 innings of the event at an average of 31.17 and a strike rate of 111.05, having celebrated eight half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 94 runs.

She hopes to continue the same consistency even in 2026 and win their second successive T20 World Cup at Lord’s on July 05.

#5 Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)- 31 wickets in 31 innings of WT20 World Cup history

Whenever it comes to the biggest stage under pressure, the best players always stand up and show their incredible ability to bail their side out of trouble. And South Africa’s pacer, Marizanne Kapp, is no different. She has played in all the editions of the tournament. 

In 2009, the Protea pacer featured in the one innings and failed to pick up a single wicket besides being smashed for 21 runs in just two overs at an expensive economy rate of 10.50.

Her best season of the event came in 2023 when they finished the event at home with the runners-up tag, losing the final to Australia at Newlands in Cape Town. Kapp finished the competition as the third leading wicket-taker with nine scalps in six innings at an average of 15.44 and a fine strike rate of 16.50, including the economy rate of under six.

Overall, in her career, the right-arm pacer has bagged 31 wickets in 31 innings of the Women’s T20 World Cup history at an average of 17.80 and a strike rate of 16.60, besides a fine economy rate of 5.13 at the best bowling figures of 3/16 in an innings.

See Also: The moment Jay Shah shook hands with Pakistan Captain Fatima Sana at Women's T20 World Cup 2026

Apart from these five players, New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, West Indies’ Stefanie Taylor, and Sri Lanka’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu, are also among those players who featured in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2009 and will play the 2026 season.

The Protea pacer, Shabnim Ismail, also played the 2009 season and will be part of the 2026 edition, but she didn’t play the 2024 season, just like Dottin, who didn’t play in the 2023 season after announcing her retirement.

Players to be part of all nine editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup before the 2026 season