Bangladesh cricket has found a new star. At just 20 years old, Marufa Akter has already carved her name into the World Cup record books with a spell that fans will remember for years.
In her very first World Cup match, Marufa set the tone for Bangladesh’s victory. Given the new ball, she delivered two unplayable, hooping inswingers in her opening over—dismissing Omaima Sohail and Pakistan’s best batter, Sidra Amin. It wasn’t just swing. It was late, vicious movement that bent like a race car on a slick curve.
Colombo has seen great swing bowlers before—Nuwan Kulasekara, for one—but Marufa produced magic in her very first ODI on the ground.
“I know my balls swing more, more, more,” she said with a smile after the game. And she wasn’t exaggerating.
A Spell That Changed the Game
Bangladesh’s bowling attack worked as a unit, but Marufa’s early breakthroughs made the difference.
- Shorna Akter turned the ball sharply, taking 3 for 5.
- Nahida Akter added 2 wickets for 19 runs.
- Marufa finished with 2 wickets for 31, but her scalps were the most crucial.
Those two inswinging deliveries are now part of World Cup folklore. The ball to Omaima Sohail, in particular, was a masterpiece—swinging late to smash into leg stump. The very next delivery trapped Sidra Amin, Pakistan’s top scorer of the year, with an inside edge onto the stumps.
Pakistan Couldn’t Match the Magic
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana admitted after the match that Marufa’s bowling set the tone.
“We really enjoyed bowling with the new ball as it was seaming,” she said. “But we couldn’t take early wickets the way Marufa did.”
Bangladesh’s pacer showed what controlled swing can do on the big stage. While Pakistan’s seamers struggled, Marufa’s spell cracked the game open.
The Future of Bangladesh Pace
At just 20, Marufa Akter has already taken nearly 18% of all pace-bowling wickets Bangladesh has ever claimed in ODIs. That’s staggering. She is young, fearless, and learning fast.
Her inswing may be an old weapon in cricket, but the way she executes it—sharp, late, and devastating—makes her one of the most exciting bowlers to watch.
Bangladesh won thanks to a team effort, but it was Marufa’s first-over brilliance that will be replayed, remembered, and celebrated as one of the great World Cup moments.
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