Bangladesh wrapped up their preparations for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers on a positive note, registering a 34-run victory over Thailand in their second warm-up match at the Mulpani Cricket Ground in Kathmandu on Friday.

The Bangladesh team are set to depart today for the T20 World Cup qualifiers in Nepal, starting on January 18.

Bangladesh will begin their quest for a place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 when the Global Qualifier gets underway in Nepal later this month, with 10 teams competing for the final four spots at the showpiece event in England and Wales.

Hope and despair -- Bangladesh women’s cricket team saw both sides of the coin in 2025, as the possibilities shown this year and the turbulence faced both on and off the field left them standing on the precipice of either progress or regression going into the new year.

The Women's Bangladesh Cricket League T20 tournament (WBCL) is set to begin on Monday, with national team skipper Nigar Sultana Joty and pacer Marufa Akter returning to the domestic fold after sitting out the Women's National Cricket League.

With every landmark, from a record chase to an ever-increasing viewership, the women’s game continues to prove that it isn’t a supplement to cricket’s story but the soul that’s been rediscovered within it.

Bangladesh’s hopes of matching their best-ever ICC Women’s World Cup record were dashed but they avoided a last place finish as their final league fixture against India was washed out in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

As Joty and company prepare to sign off with the October 26 fixture against India, their campaign has underlined that their biggest battle remains psychological.

After starting their campaign with a win over Pakistan, Bangladesh endured agonising losses against England, South Africa and now Sri Lanka -- each decided in the closing moments.

After a three-wicket, last-over loss to South Africa in Vizag on Monday, most players were left in tears in the dressing room, but the camp's mood had brightened by the next day following retrospection.

As Bangladesh head to Visakhapatnam for their next two matches against South Africa and Australia on October 13 and 16, they will hope their captain can rediscover her touch to keep their World Cup campaign alive.

Before departing for the World Cup, expectations surrounding Nigar Sultana Joty's side were relatively modest.

Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty said the team remains focused on playing their natural game against title contenders England in Guwahati today.

Bangladesh could not have asked for a better start to their ICC Women’s World Cup campaign. Fast bowler Marufa Akter, already making a name as the Tigresses’ firebrand, pegged Pakistan on the backfoot from the onset at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium on Thursday.

From sharing a dressing room and exchanging tips, friends Nigar Sultana Joty and Fatima Sana go head-to-head as captains at an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Bangladesh women’s team head coach Sarwar Imran suffered a minor brain stroke in Colombo on Monday, team manager SM Golam Faiyaz confirmed to The Daily Star today.

Marufa Akter burst onto the scene as one of Bangladesh’s most promising pace bowlers. Her blend of youthful exuberance, skill, and ambition quickly earned her a key role in the national team. The 20-year-old pacer from Nilphamari spoke to The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi about her injury setbacks, her World Cup ambitions, and the drive to keep improving. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty said her side is eager to build on its experience and meet growing expectations as they get ready for their second appearance in the ICC Women’s World Cup, starting September 30 in Guwahati. 

At the last ODI World Cup in 2022, the Tigresses managed only one win. This time, head coach Sarwar Imran pointed to Pakistan and Sri Lanka as "fifty-fifty contests", stressing that the immediate goal is to do better than last time.

Red Team led by Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty endured another tough outing in the three-team Challenge Cup at BKSP on Sunday, suffering an eight-wicket thrashing against the Under-15 men’s team after a dramatic batting collapse.