Lots to celebrate for Bangladesh women’s cricket team in 2026. The side went into the year on a high, winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier with an unbeaten run, before heading into the main tournament in England and Wales with fresh belief.
Prior to that tournament, captain Nigar Sultana had said her current squad was better than the one that achieved only one win at the previous World Cup and challenged her teammates to finally change Bangladesh’s history at the global stage. The team went on to secure victories over Pakistan and the Netherlands in the tournament, a result that builds on the side’s slow but steady rise since its international debut back in 2014.
Nigar Sultana’s record-breaking captaincy
Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty has been the main driving force behind Bangladesh’s progress. She became the most-capped captain in Bangladesh Women’s T20I history this year, breaking Salma Khatun’s earlier record of 65 matches.
Sultana, who has captained Bangladesh in 66 T20Is since 2022, has 26 wins to her name. She is also a key player behind the stumps and with the bat, having amassed more than 1,500 runs in more than 68 ODIs, including a century and nine half-centuries. Sultana has been a wicketkeeper-batter and captained Bangladesh through many milestones, including the country’s first-ever appearance at the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2022 since her international debut in 2015.
Building a Better Talent Pool
Bangladesh has been investing in their next generation of players, along with its senior stars. Bangladesh A had a good run at the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars in Bangkok, beating Pakistan A by 54 runs in the semi-final before finishing as runners-up to India A in the final.
The tournament, which was designed to bridge the gap between domestic and senior international cricket, provided a strong platform for young players such as Fahima Khatun, who anchored the semi-final chase with a composed unbeaten innings, and bowler Sanjida Akter Meghla, who impressed with the ball throughout the competition.
Faces to Watch
You see it in the squads Bangladesh have picked for their major assignments this year. Players like Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Marufa Akter and Rabeya Khan are now regulars in the senior setup, and newer ones are also starting to come through.
Sarmin Sultana, already establishing herself as a top-order batter to watch, made her T20I debut in May, while Juairiya Ferdous, who made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka this year, adds more depth to the batting line-up. Big ICC tournaments have also seen Marufa Akter emerge as deputy to Nigar Sultana, hinting at the board’s thoughts on the future leadership of the side.
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A Team Still Finding its Footing
Progress Has Not Been Without Setbacks. Bangladesh lost the ODI and T20I series to Sri Lanka earlier this year, and that is a reminder that consistency at the highest level is still a work in progress. But the team can compete with more established sides, and with a steady stream of new talent coming through on platforms like the Rising Stars tournament, it’s clear the squad is building depth rather than relying on a few stars.
With Nigar Sultana continuing as captain, Bangladesh is due to take part in the Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games later this year, with the team having a chance to build further on a year that has already seen several firsts. For a program that debuted on the international stage just over a decade ago, the pairing of an experienced captain on the cusp of the record books and a new wave of players coming through domestic and regional pathways points to Bangladesh women’s cricket entering a more competitive, more sustainable phase.
Summary: Bangladesh’s women’s cricket team has enjoyed one of its most eventful years yet, marked by a T20 World Cup qualification, a record-breaking captaincy milestone, and a new wave of young talent making its mark on the international stage.
