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Seattle Orcas launch women’s T20 open in U.S.
Four-day tournament in August aims to expand match opportunities for women cricketers.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 04, Feb 2026
- 14:23 EST
- 23
Tournament's poster / Seattle Orcas
The Seattle Orcas, which competes in the Major League Cricket, has announced a women’s T20 tournament aimed at expanding competitive opportunities for women cricketers in the United States.
The Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Open is scheduled for mid-August 2026 in Seattle and aims to build momentum toward a future women’s league under Major League Cricket.
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According to organizers, the event is designed to address a key gap in the women’s game in the US: the lack of regular, high-quality match experience.
There are an estimated 500 women cricketers across the country, but only about 20 regularly contend for national team selection. Even those players average roughly 35 competitive matches over seven to eight years.
“The lack of match experience is the single biggest gap holding back women’s cricket in the U.S.,” said Anika Kolan, the team’s women’s cricket brand ambassador and the T20I captain of the USA Women’s Cricket Team.
“I’m thrilled that the Seattle Orcas are committed to providing a pathway for women and girls to help change that story. The Women’s T20 Open is not just a tournament; it’s a platform for opportunity—giving talented athletes the games, visibility, and confidence they deserve,” she added.
The tournament will feature top international players alongside leading domestic talent split into three teams playing six round-robin matches and a final over four days. Matches will be livestreamed nationally. The event will also include youth activities and family-focused engagement as part of the matchday experience.
The Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Open is affiliated with the American Women's Cricket Support Group T20 tournaments. The franchise said it will work with the group to create pathways for women players across the country and is open to affiliating with other women’s T20 competitions to strengthen the domestic structure.
Soma Somasegar, owner of the Seattle Orcas, said the tournament is also intended to demonstrate commercial viability for women’s cricket.
“This tournament features top talent, fan engagement, and opportunity for brand partners to reach new audiences,” Somasegar said. “When we demonstrate all three through this tournament, we prove there is a strong business case for women’s cricket in the United States—and for Major League Cricket Women (MLC-W) to become a reality.”
Seattle is currently the only U.S. city with three professional women’s teams—the Seattle Storm in the WNBA, OL Reign in the NWSL, and a professional women’s hockey team in the PWHL. The Orcas said the initiative seeks to extend that sporting landscape into cricket.
“As ‘America’s Favorite Cricket Team,’ we believe it’s our responsibility to develop women’s cricket in this country,” said Sanjay Parthasarathy, co-owner of the Seattle Orcas. “The Women’s T20 Open is one way we turn that commitment into action—creating opportunities, visibility, and momentum for talented women cricketers across the US.”
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