Bangladesh kicked off their World Cup journey on a high, registering a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in Colombo on Thursday. Their bowlers set the tone by dismissing Pakistan for just 129, and the batters later made light work of the modest target, crossing the finish line in only 31.1 overs to secure two crucial points.
Pakistan's batting order crumble at just 129
Conditions at the R. Premadasa Stadium offered significant swing early on, and Marufa Akter exploited that advantage brilliantly. In a dream start, she dismissed Omaima Sohail and Sidra Amin for consecutive golden ducks, knocking over both with sharp inswingers in her very first over. Those early jolts derailed Pakistan’s plans and left them struggling to recover for the rest of the innings.
Muneeba Ali and Rameem Shamim tried to steady things during the PowerPlay, ensuring no further wickets fell but at the expense of scoring freely. Just when they looked settled, they also departed after making small contributions, continuing a frustrating pattern for Pakistan’s lineup where starts were wasted without converting into substantial scores. This allowed Bangladesh’s spinners to take complete charge, chipping away with frequent wickets to keep pressure firmly on their opponents.
The innings ended in disappointment as Pakistan crumbled to an underwhelming 129. A comical hit-wicket dismissal of Nashra Sandhu in the 35th over was symbolic of their struggles. Bangladesh’s bowlers worked collectively with all six used striking at least once, while Shorna Akter stood out as the star performer, returning exceptional figures of 3 for 5.
Rubya Haider's pumped up fify wins it for Bangladesh
In defense of their low score, Pakistan looked to strike early through Fatima Sana and Diana Baig. The duo bowled with discipline and created chances while keeping Bangladesh quiet for the first few overs. Their only major breakthrough came when Fargana Hoque was dismissed, leaving Bangladesh at 23 for 1 at the end of the PowerPlay.
From there, however, Bangladesh shifted gears. Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty’s arrival partnered with Rubya Haider to stabilize and then accelerate the innings. Haider played with growing confidence, hitting boundaries freely, including three off a single Nashra Sandhu over.
Their 62-run partnership effectively killed Pakistan’s hopes, and though Joty fell later, Bangladesh stayed comfortably on course as Haider notched a fine fifty. Sobhana Mostary’s brisk cameo, filled entirely with boundaries, sealed the contest emphatically, giving Bangladesh a dominant win to open their campaign.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 129 in 38.3 overs (Rameem Shamim 23; Shorna Akter 3-5, Nahida Akter 2-19) lost to Bangladesh 131/3 in 31.3 overs (Rubya Haider 54*, Shobana Mostary 24*; Diana Baig 1-14) by 7 wickets