Bangladesh Women's Cricket Team Faces Steep Challenge at World Cup After Fortuitous Qualification

Bangladesh’s passage to the Women’s World Cup on Indian soil carries a stroke of fortune—and a twist of irony. Their ticket was punched not by their own doing, but by a costly miscalculation from the West Indies. In the final Qualifier against Thailand at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore last April, the Caribbean side were chasing 167 and needed to get there by 10.1 overs to advance.

At 162 for four in 10.4 overs, the math was clear: a four and then a six would have been enough to eclipse Bangladesh’s net run rate of +0.639. Instead, Stafanie Taylor went big straightaway, depositing Phannita Maya over the ropes. The six sealed victory but scuppered the fine margins—West Indies closed at +0.626, agonisingly 0.013 short, effectively gifting Bangladesh a World Cup berth.

Women's World Cup 2025 Full Coverage

For the Tigers, it is a reminder that luck can open doors, but only performance can keep them in the room. Heading into just their second ODI World Cup after their 2022 debut, Bangladesh know the grace of fortune won’t be enough against the heavyweights. This edition, more than anything, promises to be a hard-earned lesson in what it takes to stay at cricket’s top table.

Fargana, Joty key for Bangladesh batting

For Bangladesh, the batting fortunes at the Women’s World Cup will inevitably rest on the shoulders of their seasoned trio—Nigar Sultana Joty, Fargana Hoque Pinky and Sharmin Akter Supta. Between them, they remain the only three Bangladeshi women to have crossed the 1,000-run mark in ODIs, a testament to both their pedigree and their importance.

Supta and Joty were the driving forces behind Bangladesh’s qualification campaign. Supta ended as the second-highest run-getter in the Qualifiers, her unbeaten 94 a standout effort. Joty, meanwhile, lit up the tournament with a blistering 78-ball hundred against Thailand, eventually finishing as the third-highest run-scorer.

Pinky, though not at her fluent best during the Qualifiers, carries a weight of expectation. As the only Bangladeshi batter with multiple centuries in Women’s ODIs, her ability to dominate the powerplay and anchor big totals could well decide how far the Tigers can stretch the heavyweights. For Bangladesh, the path to competitiveness begins with this trio firing in unison.

Focus on Shorna-Marufa duo

While experience anchors Bangladesh’s campaign, the spark may well come from their youngsters—Shorna Akter and Marufa Akter. Both carry the promise of raw talent and fearless cricket, qualities the Tigresses will need to upset stronger opponents.

Marufa, who idolises India’s Hardik Pandya, is already carving her own identity with the ball. The 20-year-old can generate sharp pace that hurries batters, and with a four-wicket haul already in her short career, she has shown glimpses of being a genuine match-winner. How she handles the World Cup stage could be pivotal for Bangladesh.

Shorna, on the other hand, offers all-round value. Capable of clearing the ropes with ease, she brings power to a batting line-up that often struggles for acceleration, while her handy contributions with the ball add further balance. Mostly deployed for impactful cameos so far, she now has the opportunity to step into a bigger role.

Both Marufa and Shorna first caught attention at the inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023, and their rise since then has been rapid. For Bangladesh, their youthful energy could be the perfect complement to the experience of the senior core.

Strong spin attack

If Bangladesh are to punch above their weight at the Women’s World Cup, their greatest weapon may well be their spin quartet. Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Jannatul Ferdus and Rabeya Khan form a unit capable of troubling even the most established batting line-ups. And though the side will miss the presence of their talismanic former skipper Salma Khatun—now Bangladesh’s first women’s selector—the spin department still looks formidable.

Ferdous was a revelation in the Qualifiers, bagging nine wickets in five games, including dream figures of 5-3-7-5 against Thailand. Nahida, the most seasoned of the group, brings both experience and consistency with 69 wickets in 54 ODIs, highlighted by a five-wicket haul. Rabeya, with 26 wickets in 24 matches, continues to grow in stature, while Fahima’s know-how from the 2022 edition adds depth and calm under pressure.

Individually, these players have shown they can deliver moments of brilliance. But for Bangladesh to seriously challenge the tournament’s heavyweights, the quartet will need to weave their spells in unison—and inspire the kind of collective effort that transforms plucky resistance into giant-killing performances.

Bangladesh’s Women’s World Cup Record

Bangladesh have participated in just one edition of the World Cup, in 2022, where they won only one of their seven matches. Their sole victory was a nine-run win over Pakistan in Hamilton.

Bangladesh’s post-Women’s World Cup 2022 Record

Since the last Women’s World Cup, Bangladesh have won 10 of 28 ODIs and lost 13. Three matches produced no result, while two games in 2023, against India and Pakistan, ended in a tie.

Bangladesh’s Women’s World Cup Squad

Nigar Sultana Joty (c), Nahida Akter, Fargana Hoque Pinky, Rubya Haider Jhelik, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Nishita Akter Nishi, Sumaiya Akter

Bangladesh’s Women's World Cup league stage fixtures

• October 2 – Bangladesh Women vs Pakistan Women, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
• October 7 – England Women vs Bangladesh Women, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, GuwahatiOctober 10 – New Zealand Women vs Bangladesh Women, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
• October 13 – South Africa Women vs Bangladesh Women, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
• October 16 – Australia Women vs Bangladesh Women, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
• October 20 – Sri Lanka Women vs Bangladesh Women, Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai
• October 26 – India Women vs Bangladesh Women, Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai

Bangladesh’s Predicted XI for Women’s World Cup

Fargana Hoque, Dilara Akter (wk), Sharmin Akhter, Nigar Sultana Joty (c), Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Jannatul Ferdus, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter