Bangladesh Women Edge Sri Lanka by Three Wickets in Historic Rajshahi Opener
Rajshahi woke up to a slice of history on a warm April morning. For the first time, the Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium was staging an international cricket match, and the occasion carried extra weight for the Bangladesh women’s team. They were hosting Sri Lanka in the opening game of a three-match ODI series that also counted toward the ICC Women’s Championship. What unfolded over the next several hours was a contest full of grit, near-disasters, and ultimately a landmark victory that the home side will remember for years.
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat. Their regular captain Chamari Athapaththu was absent with a finger injury, so Hasini Perera led the side. The visitors began brightly. Perera and Imesha Dulani put on 68 for the first wicket, steadying themselves against the early movement offered by Marufa Akter and the left-arm spin of Nahida Akter. The pitch was true, the outfield quick, and the Lankan openers rotated the strike well while punishing anything loose. Perera looked particularly solid, driving and cutting with confidence until Ritu Moni changed the angle. Coming around the wicket, Moni produced an inswinger that trapped Perera in front for 27. The breakthrough came in the 14th over, and the momentum shifted.
Moni struck again almost immediately. Harshitha Samarawickrama, who had looked uncomfortable, flicked a simple return catch, and Sri Lanka were suddenly 72 for 2. Dulani and Hansima Karunaratne then rebuilt. Their partnership of 52 was the steadiest phase of the innings. Dulani reached a well-constructed fifty, full of soft hands and placement, while Karunaratne played with more freedom, finding the boundary regularly. The pair took the score past 120 before Sultana Khatun induced a leading edge from Dulani that was well held at mid-off. Dulani’s 52 had given Sri Lanka a platform, but the middle order failed to capitalise fully.
Karunaratne continued to the score of 54, his highest contribution of the day, before a full toss from part-time medium-pacer Sobhana Mostary was drilled straight to Rabeya Khan at cover. The dismissal left Karunaratne shaking his head. From 160 for 4 the innings unravelled. Nilakshika Silva and Kavisha Dilhari both fell cheaply, caught in the ring as they tried to accelerate. Moni returned to claim her third wicket, finishing with figures of 3 for 36 from nine overs. Nahida Akter chipped in with two late strikes, and Sri Lanka closed on 205 for 9. It was a competitive total, but the visitors knew they had left a few runs out there after a strong start.
Bangladesh’s chase began in the worst possible fashion. Sarmin Sultana was cleaned up by Malki Madara in the first over, the ball swinging in late and clipping leg stump. Debutant Juairiya Ferdous lasted only a few more deliveries before lofting a catch to mid-on. When captain Nigar Sultana was trapped lbw by Dewmi Vihanga, the scoreboard read 34 for 3 and the home crowd fell silent. At that moment the target of 206 looked distant.
Enter Sharmin Akhter. The experienced opener has been a mainstay of the Bangladesh batting order for years, and on this afternoon she produced one of her finest innings. Alongside Sobhana Mostary she steadied the ship. The pair added 87 runs, playing with calm intent, picking singles, and punishing the occasional bad ball. Mostary struck six fours in her 41 before severe cramps forced her to retire hurt in the 28th over. She had to be helped off the field, an unfortunate end to a valuable knock.
Sharmin then found a willing partner in Shorna Akter. The young all-rounder showed maturity beyond her years, rotating the strike and occasionally clearing the boundary. Their stand of 78 took Bangladesh deep into the chase. Sharmin reached her fifty and continued, her cover drives a particular highlight. By the 45th over the required rate was under control and the home side needed only seven more runs with plenty of wickets in hand.
Then came the collapse that threatened to turn a comfortable win into a heartbreaking defeat. Sharmin was stumped for 86, a hard-earned 127-ball effort that included 13 fours. In the next over Vihanga struck twice, removing Shorna and Ritu Moni in successive deliveries as both batters attempted big hits. Rabeya Khan followed almost immediately, holing out to deep midwicket. Four wickets had fallen for a single run. From 199 for 3 Bangladesh had slipped to 200 for 7. The stadium held its breath.
Nahida Akter and Sultana Khatun walked out to a tense atmosphere. The pair scrambled the remaining runs with nerves of steel. Madara bowled a wide, then a misfield in the covers allowed the winning single. Bangladesh had reached 206 for 7 with nine balls to spare. The relief was palpable. Players rushed onto the field, the crowd erupted, and Sharmin Akhter was named player of the match for her anchoring innings.
This was Bangladesh’s first-ever ODI victory against Sri Lanka. Previous encounters had almost always gone the Lankans’ way, whether in bilateral series or multi-team tournaments. The win also handed the hosts two valuable points in the ICC Women’s Championship, an important early boost in a long cycle that will decide qualification for the next World Cup.
The match itself was full of the small dramas that make limited-overs cricket so compelling. Sri Lanka’s failure to convert their solid start into a bigger total, the early collapse in the chase, Mostary’s painful retirement, and the late panic all combined to create a contest that swung back and forth. Ritu Moni’s three wickets proved decisive with the ball, while Sharmin’s patience and technique held the batting together when it mattered most.
For Rajshahi the day was special simply because international cricket had finally arrived. The ground, usually reserved for domestic fixtures, looked the part under clear skies, and the local support was passionate throughout. The Bangladesh Cricket Board will hope the success of the occasion encourages more women’s international matches outside Dhaka and Chattogram in the future.
Sri Lanka will reflect on missed opportunities. Their bowling lacked consistency at key moments, particularly in the middle overs when Sharmin and Mostary were building the chase. The absence of Athapaththu’s leadership and all-round skills was felt, though Perera did her best in the field. Dewmi Vihanga’s three wickets offered a silver lining, and the side will look to bounce back quickly in the remaining two ODIs.
For Bangladesh the victory is a confidence booster. The batting depth was tested and largely held firm. The bowling unit, led by Moni and Nahida, showed they can restrict strong opposition on a decent surface. Nigar Sultana’s captaincy was calm under pressure, and the team’s ability to close out a tight finish will serve them well in tougher contests ahead.
As the players left the field, the scoreboard still glowed with the final numbers: Sri Lanka 205 for 9, Bangladesh 206 for 7. A three-wicket win with nine balls remaining. A maiden ODI triumph against Sri Lanka. A first international match at a historic ground in Rajshahi. It was a day that delivered on every level, and one that the Bangladesh women’s team will look back on with pride whenever the next challenge arises.
The series continues later in the week at the same venue. Sri Lanka will be determined to level the score, while Bangladesh will hope to build on the foundation laid on this memorable Monday. For now, though, the focus remains on a hard-fought victory earned through patience, resilience, and a refusal to panic when the game threatened to slip away. In women’s cricket, those qualities often prove more valuable than any individual brilliance, and on this occasion Bangladesh displayed them in abundance.
