The second edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Championship has been announced and it will take place in February 2018 in South Africa. Team India will play three matches from February 5-10 in Round 1 of the competition. The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the Women’s Championship on Monday, in the presence of India captain Mithali Raj and former skipper Anjum Chopra.

India played their last game in the final of the World Cup 2017 with the hosts England in July and now they will play two games against South Africa in Kimberly on February 5 and 7 before traveling to Potchefstroom on February 10 for the final match as part of the Championship.

Same format of the Women’s Championship’s inaugural edition, with all the eight sides – Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies – taking on each other in series of three ODIs on a home or away basis.

The hosts of the 2021 World Cup New Zealand and three other top teams from this championship will qualify directly for the World Cup while the remaining four sides will get a second chance through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier where they will play against six other teams.

Teams will get two points for each win, one point for a tie or no-result and no points for a loss.

During the launch, Mithali said, “It’s heartening to see the success of the ICC Women’s World Cup and the popularity of women’s cricket in India. That so many people followed our progress at the World Cup proves that there is an appetite for women’s cricket in India and it will only grow in the coming years.”