Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter made a sensational begin to her Girls’s World Cup marketing campaign in her very first match towards Pakistan. The 20-year-old impressed together with her deadly inswing bowling, drawing comparisons from cricket consultants to high male pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc.
Marufa made an on the spot influence by dismissing two key Pakistan batsmen for golden geese within the opening over.
Opener Omaima Sohail fell to a sharply swinging supply that hit the leg stump, whereas Sidra Amin was bowled in the identical method on the very subsequent ball. Her twin strikes put Pakistan instantly on the again foot and disrupted their batting rhythm.
Bangladesh went on to safe a cushty seven-wicket victory, with Marufa Akter incomes the ‘Participant of the Match’ award for her match-winning efficiency. Her debut alerts the rise of a promising expertise in girls’s cricket.
‘They would not invite us to numerous gatherings’
Marufa, a local of Nilphamari in Bangladesh, is now having fun with the limelight, however her journey has instilled a way of humility. She has shared that rising up, her household confronted ongoing monetary challenges, shaping her resilient and grounded outlook.
“They would not invite us to numerous gatherings (like weddings), saying we did not have correct garments. If we go there, we’ll lose our respect – that is what they used to say (tears). There was a time after we could not even afford new garments for Eid (tears),” Marufa stated.
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(@mediaaccccccccc) October 13, 2025
“My father is a farmer. We did not have a lot cash, and even the individuals within the village the place I grew up weren’t very supportive,” Marufa stated.
Marufa now takes pleasure in being a supportive daughter, offering for and standing by her household.
“Really, the place we’re in now – others aren’t fairly there. The way in which I assist my household, maybe many boys cannot do the identical. That offers me a particular form of peace. As a toddler, I used to surprise when individuals would have a look at us with admiration and applause. Now, after I see myself on TV, I really feel shy (laughs),” Marufa added.