Women's T20 WC: 'We lost too many wickets at the start,' says Sultana after Bangladesh lose to Australia
Leeds, June 17
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana admitted that her side's batting collapse in the first half of the innings left them with little chance against Australia as the six-time champions cruised to a nine-wicket victory in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Headingley on Wednesday.
Bangladesh were restricted to 77/8 in their 20 overs after a disciplined Australian bowling display, with Nigar top-scoring with 27. Australia then chased down the target in just 9.3 overs, thanks to an unbeaten 45 from opener Georgia Voll.
Reflecting on the defeat, Nigar said losing too many wickets in the first 10 overs made it difficult for Bangladesh to build a competitive total. "Initially, I think we lost too many wickets in the first 10 overs, and it was pretty difficult for our batting unit to keep going from there. But I think we are better than this. We know that," Nigar said after the match.
The Bangladesh skipper felt her side needed a bigger total to give their bowlers a realistic chance against a powerful Australian batting line-up. "We really wanted to put some score on the board because we know that we have a very good bowling side, and that gives us a better chance when we go out to bowl," she added.
Bangladesh's innings never gained momentum after early strikes from Kim Garth and Sophie Molineux. The situation worsened when Elyssa Perry claimed two wickets in the same over, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 34/5.
Despite the conditions at Headingley offering considerable help to seam bowlers, Bangladesh included experienced left-arm spinner Nahida Akter in the playing XI. Nigar explained that the decision was taken in the hope that a defendable total would allow the bowlers to apply pressure.
"Yeah, I think initially we really wanted to see an experienced bowler like Nahida Akter come into the side. We were really hoping that we could put some runs on the board, so it might give us a chance with the ball. Otherwise, it's pretty difficult. A score of 78 runs is very difficult for the bowlers to defend," She said.
Australia's batters proved exactly that as Voll and Elyssa Perry comfortably guided their side home with 63 balls remaining.
Nigar also spoke about Bangladesh's continuing efforts to develop more power-hitters, an area she believes remains crucial for the team's progress in T20 cricket.
"Sometimes, you know, we have been looking for a few players who can really bat as power hitters and that we can use in the last few overs," she said.
"In Asian countries, we can find a lot of spinners, but it's pretty difficult to find batters like that. But still, we have some players who really can bat in that way. Sometimes it's not working as well, but we are continuing to work on it," she added.
The defeat leaves Bangladesh searching for answers ahead of their next match against Pakistan on June 20.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's sad to see this because Bangladesh women's team has shown real heart in recent years. But you can't fault the Aussies—they're just a cut above in every department. At least Nigar acknowledged the mistakes honestly instead of making excuses. That's good captaincy material.
I feel for Nahida Akter—she's a class spinner but you need runs to defend. Playing her was a gamble that didn't pay off because the batting failed. It's like our Indian team sometimes, where we overthink selections. 😅
Bangla tigers putting up a fight? Not today. But I respect Nigar's honest reflection. 'We are better than this'—at least she believes in her team. Power-hitting development is a long game for associate nations. Rome wasn't built in a day, na?
One thing that strikes me: Australia chased in 9.3 overs! That's brutal domination. Bangladesh struggled to even use their full 20 overs. The gap between teams is still huge. But honestly, Bangladesh women cricket has come a long way from where it started. Let's not forget they've beaten India and Pakistan before.
Elyssa Perry is looking dangerous with both bat and ball! Two wickets in one over and then an unbeaten partnership? She's going to be a superstar. For Bangladesh, the top-order collapse is a recurring worry. I'd love to see them try promoting some of their middle-order hitters up the order in the next match against Pakistan.
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