Bangladesh’s women’s cricket team experienced a disappointing start to their ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy campaign, suffering an eight-wicket defeat to Pakistan in a group-stage match held in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. This encounter served as the first T20 International match under the captaincy of Nahida Akter.
Batting Struggles
Invited to bat first, Bangladesh struggled to post a competitive total, managing only 108 runs. The team’s top order faltered early, as both openers, Sathi Rani and Dilara Akter, were dismissed with the team score at just 21. Former captain Nigar Sultana attempted to stabilize the innings, scoring a team-high 27 off 20 deliveries. However, she found little support, as Sobhana Mostary and Sharmin Akter failed to reach double digits. Following Nigar’s departure at 64, the team collapsed to 68 for 7. Swarna Akter provided a late spark, remaining unbeaten on 21 off 20 balls, while Rabeya Khan contributed 11 runs off 18 balls to push the final score into triple digits.
Bowling and Chase
- Pakistan’s Tuba Hassan claimed 3 wickets, and Nashra Sandhu took 2.
- During the run chase, Pakistan secured the win with 25 balls to spare.
- Sadaf Shamas led the scoring with 37 runs from 37 balls.
- Muneeba Ali added 31 runs off 34 deliveries, while Ayesha Zafar played a quickfire cameo of 27 runs from 18 balls.
