Seven Matches. Seven Wins. Bangladesh Women Are Headed to England.
While the men's cricket team was at the centre of a diplomatic storm that kept them out of the T20 World Cup entirely, the Bangladesh women's team quietly did something remarkable: they went to Nepal, played seven matches at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier 2026, and won all seven. Not once did they drop a game. Not once did the scoreboard tell a story of vulnerability or near-escape. From the group stage opener against the USA to the final Super Sixes fixture against the Netherlands, Nigar Sultana Joty's side was dominant, disciplined, and relentless.
Bangladesh are going to England. The 10th edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup runs from June 12 to July 5, 2026, across iconic cricket grounds in England and Wales, and the Tigresses will be there — qualified on merit, qualified with authority, and qualified with a perfect record that no other team in the tournament can match. For Bangladeshi cricket supporters who have spent months navigating a painful geopolitical crisis in the men's game, the women's qualification is more than a sporting achievement. It is a reminder that Bangladesh cricket, at its best, is still capable of excellence. 2 has tracked every match of Bangladesh's qualifier campaign and brings you the complete story here.
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The Qualifier Setup: Nepal, January 2026
The ICC Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier 2026 was held in Nepal across the Mulpani and Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground venues in Kirtipur. The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup is hosted by England and Wales from June 12 to July 5, with the tournament expanded to 12 teams for the first time. Four spots were available through the qualifier, with six teams — Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland, USA, and Thailand — competing for those places.
Bangladesh arrived at the qualifier on the back of an encouraging year for women's cricket, having recorded some notable moments in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, including a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their opening match. The squad was built around seasoned campaigners and emerging talent alike. The 15-member squad was led by Nigar Sultana Joty as captain, with Nahida Akter as vice-captain, and included Sobhana Mostary, Farzana Haque, Sharmin Akter Supta, Dilara Akter, Juairiya Ferdous, Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Shanjida Akther Maghla, and Sultana Khatun.
Bangladesh were placed in Group A alongside Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Ireland, and the USA. The format required teams to advance through a group stage into a Super Sixes round, from which the top qualifiers would earn their World Cup spots. Bangladesh's task was straightforward on paper — but executing it without a single defeat across seven matches requires a different level of collective performance entirely.
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Match by Match: How Bangladesh Went 7-From-7
Match 1 — vs USA: Bangladesh opened their campaign at Mulpani against the United States, batting first after being inserted. They posted 158/5 in 20 overs, powered by Sharmin Akhter's explosive 63 off 39 balls, including 8 fours and 1 six. When USA batted, Bangladesh's spinners were merciless. Nahida Akter took 4-0-24-4, Ritu Moni took 4-0-24-3, and Rabeya Khan took 4-0-34-2 as Bangladesh restricted USA to 137/9 to win by 21 runs. Sharmin Akhter earned Player of the Match.
Match 2 — vs Papua New Guinea: Toss woes continued in the second game, with Bangladesh again batting first to reach 168/5 in 20 overs before bowling out PNG for 138/9, a 30-run victory.
Match 3 — vs Namibia: Namibia tested Bangladesh for the third time, with skipper Sune Wittmann winning the toss and inserting them. Bangladesh ground out 144/7 in 20 overs. The reply crumbled to 64 all out with 13 balls spare, an 80-run thrashing. Sanjida Akter Meghla took 4-1-14-4, Rabeya Khan took 4-1-5-3, and Fahima Khatun took 3.5-0-12-3, with Meghla named Player of the Match.
Match 4 — vs Ireland: Batting first after finally winning a toss, Bangladesh posted 153/7, led by Sharmin Akhter's 52 off 45 alongside Dilara Akter's 35 and Sobhana Mostary's 30. Bangladesh edged a thriller by 9 runs as Ireland reached 144/4, with Gaby Lewis making a brilliant 73 off 58 to drive Ireland close before falling to Rabeya Khan in the penultimate over. The nine-run margin flattered Bangladesh slightly — Ireland pushed them harder than any other group-stage opponent — but winning ugly is still winning.
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Match 5 — vs Thailand (Super Sixes): Entering the Super Sixes without a defeat, Bangladesh faced Thailand in Mulpani and were tested early. Early blows saw Dilara Akter dismissed on the first ball and Sharmin Akhter fall in the second over, but wicketkeeper Juairiya Ferdous (56 off 45) and Sobhana Mostary (59 off 42) forged a 110-run third wicket stand to lift Bangladesh to 165/8. Marufa Akter took 3/25, Ritu Moni and Shorna Akter took 2 wickets each as Thailand were skittled in a 39-run win. Mostary was named Player of the Match.
Match 6 — vs Scotland: With qualification already secured, Bangladesh took on Scotland at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground. The Tigresses controlled the match throughout, adding another win to their unbeaten run. Nigar Sultana Joty's calm captaincy and the collective bowling effort carried Bangladesh through comfortably.
Match 7 — vs Netherlands: Chasing a modest target of 103, Bangladesh were jolted early as openers Dilara Akter and Juairiya Ferdous were dismissed cheaply, leaving the side at 6 for 2. However, skipper Nigar Sultana Joty once again led from the front. Nigar remained unbeaten on 50 from 44 balls, striking seven boundaries to register her 10th T20I half-century, with Sobhana Mostary finishing not out on 33 off 23 deliveries. Bangladesh reached the target at 105 for 3 with 20 balls to spare. Earlier, left-arm spinner Nahida Akter had produced a standout performance, taking 3 for 10 from four overs to reduce the Dutch side to 23 for 5. Seven from seven. The Tigresses had done it.
The Players Who Made It Happen
Perfect records are collective achievements, but certain individuals elevated Bangladesh's campaign beyond the expected. Sharmin Akhter was the tournament's most consistent batter in the group stage, and her numbers at the qualifier were exceptional. Sultana Joty gained three places to move to 19th overall on the T20I batting rankings following her 154 runs at the qualifier, while Mostary rose 16 rungs to 36th and Akter moved up five spots to 65th.
In the bowling department, the story was led by Nahida Akter, Bangladesh's trusted left-arm spinner. Nahida Akter improved eight spots to move to 28th overall on the T20I bowling rankings following her eight wickets at the qualifier. Her control, variation, and ability to take wickets in clusters made her the engine of Bangladesh's attack throughout the tournament. Rabeya Khan was equally important, providing both control and breakthroughs in crucial moments. Marufa Akter's pace added a dimension that consistently unsettled middle orders.
Nigar Sultana Joty's captaincy deserves its own paragraph. Her leadership has shone through dominant batting depths and ruthless bowling attacks, setting the tone from their group stage rampage to Super Sixes supremacy. As a batter, she provided composure in moments when early wickets threatened to derail innings — the final match against the Netherlands being the clearest example of her ability to absorb pressure and bat Bangladesh home. As a captain, her field placements and bowling rotations were consistently intelligent. At 19th in the world T20I batting rankings, she is one of the most complete players in Asian women's cricket. 2 named Nigar Sultana the standout player of Bangladesh's qualifier campaign.
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Who Else Qualified? The Full T20 World Cup 2026 Picture
Four out of the six teams from the Super Sixes qualified for the main event. With Bangladesh and Netherlands already through, Scotland, Ireland, USA, and Thailand were jostling for the remaining two places. Scotland and Ireland ultimately secured those spots.
The full 12-team lineup for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 is: England (hosts), Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Scotland, and Ireland. This is the largest field in the tournament's history. The Dutch side will be making their ICC Women's T20 World Cup debut. For Bangladesh, it is a continuation of their journey in the women's T20 World Cup — they have been a part of the women's T20 World Cup since they first hosted the event in 2014.
Group 1 contains Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. Group 2 contains West Indies, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and Scotland. Bangladesh's group is, without question, the harder of the two. Australia are six-time champions. India are the reigning ODI World Cup winners. Pakistan are a dangerous side on any given day. South Africa are consistently competitive. But that difficulty is also an opportunity — beating any of those teams in England would be among the greatest results in Bangladesh women's cricket history.
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Bangladesh's Schedule at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026
Bangladesh's group-stage fixtures are now confirmed. On Sunday June 14, Bangladesh face the Netherlands at Edgbaston at 10:30 BST — a rematch of their final qualifier game, now on the grandest stage. On Wednesday June 17, Bangladesh face Australia at Headingley at 10:30 BST. On Saturday June 20, Bangladesh face Pakistan at the Hampshire Bowl at 14:30 BST. On Wednesday June 25, Bangladesh face India at Old Trafford. On Sunday June 28, Bangladesh face South Africa at Lord's Cricket Ground at 10:30 BST.
Five group-stage matches. Five iconic English cricket venues. A schedule that pits them against the best sides in the world across nine days of competition. For Bangladeshi fans, the fixtures against India and Pakistan will carry special emotional weight — and the match at Lord's against South Africa, at cricket's spiritual home, will be one to mark in the diary regardless of what precedes it. 2 will run dedicated pre-match analysis and fan discussion threads for each of Bangladesh's five group-stage games.
The Context: Why This Qualification Matters More Than Usual
Bangladesh women's cricket has never operated with the institutional support, media attention, or financial resources available to the men's game. The BCB's investment in the women's programme has improved, but it remains unequal. The players who went to Nepal and won seven consecutive matches did so representing a country whose men's team had just been excluded from a World Cup in the most politically charged circumstances in recent cricket history.
That parallel is not incidental. While diplomats and cricket boards argued over the men's T20 World Cup, while the BCCI forced the release of a Bangladeshi cricketer and the government banned an IPL broadcast, Nigar Sultana and her squad were quietly training in Kathmandu, focusing on the cricket, and delivering a flawless performance that no one can take away from them. They did not make political statements. They let the scoreboard speak.
The England and Wales World Cup represents Bangladesh women's biggest opportunity yet on the global stage. They will face stronger opposition than they encountered in Nepal — but they go into the tournament as the only side with a perfect qualifier record, with improved ICC rankings across multiple players, and with the collective momentum that comes from never having lost a game during the qualification process. For full coverage of Bangladesh's World Cup preparations, squad updates, and the tournament itself as it unfolds this summer, 2 and 2 will provide comprehensive match-by-match reporting from England.
What Bangladesh Need to Do in England
Qualification from Group 1 requires Bangladesh to be at their absolute best. Australia and India are almost certain to progress from their half of the draw. The remaining two qualifying spots from Group 1 are likely to come from South Africa, Pakistan, and Bangladesh — with any of the three capable of claiming them on any given day in English conditions.
For Bangladesh to advance to the semi-finals, they will need their spinners — particularly Nahida Akter and Rabeya Khan — to be effective on surfaces that may offer more pace and bounce than the subcontinental pitches they are accustomed to. They will need Sharmin Akhter and Nigar Sultana Joty to translate their qualifier form into consistent performances against higher-ranked opposition. And they will need the collective batting depth that served them so well in Nepal to hold firm against the world's best bowling attacks.
None of that is impossible. Bangladesh have beaten Pakistan and competitive sides before. They have shown, across seven matches in Nepal, that they are capable of sustained excellence. England in June and July will test that in ways Nepal did not — but the Tigresses have earned their place at the table, and they will not arrive merely to make up the numbers. For continued updates on Bangladesh women's preparations for the World Cup, 2 is tracking the full tournament buildup from the England and Wales host cities.
The Tigresses Deserve More Than They Get
It would be remiss to close without acknowledging something that goes beyond the tournament bracket. Bangladesh women's cricket has consistently punched above its weight in international competition. The 2018 ACC Women's Asia Cup win — the only time a team other than India lifted that trophy — demonstrated what this programme is capable of. The qualifier record in Nepal is in that same tradition: a team that is routinely underestimated, consistently underreported, and permanently underfunded, going out and winning every game they play.
Seven wins from seven. England and Wales awaits. The Tigresses are going to the World Cup — and this time, Bangladeshi cricket fans have every reason to watch with hope rather than grief. Full World Cup coverage, squad previews, and match analysis throughout the summer will be available on 2.
