Bangladesh’s achievements on the global sporting stage have not been frequent, and for most of their major teams, the journey still remains an ongoing learning curve. Time and again, Bangladeshi teams have shown great promise—only to end up with results that echo the familiar refrain: so near, yet so far. In cricket, whether men or women, that sentiment feels all too familiar.
The latest chapter unfolded on Monday in Mumbai, where captain Nigar Sultana Joty—who had managed only 71 runs in her previous five innings—did almost everything to take her side home. Coming in during the 11th over with Bangladesh struggling at 24 for 2, she produced a composed and sensible 77, the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi woman in an ODI World Cup, steering the chase of 203 within touching distance before defeat arrived, just nine runs short.
Bangladesh were in full control, needing only 25 from 24 balls and later 12 from 12 with six wickets in hand. Yet, they somehow managed to let it slip again—a continuation of an unwanted consistency in failing to finish games. In just their second World Cup appearance, this could have been a memorable campaign, especially after the Tigers’ impressive opening win over Pakistan.
Since then, Bangladesh have competed admirably across departments, coming heartbreakingly close against powerhouses England, South Africa, and now Sri Lanka—often undone by misfortune, nerves, or simply lack of composure in key moments. Even in their other two matches against Australia and New Zealand, Joty’s side showed discipline, performing to their strengths in either batting or bowling.
Almost every player left a mark on this global stage. Marufa Akter’s sharp inswingers early in the tournament rattled top orders of both Pakistan and England, earning praise from commentators and fans worldwide. The spinners—Nahida Akter, Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun, and Shorna Akter—bowled with precision, kept economies near four runs per over, and consistently gave their side fighting chances, even when defending small totals.
Against England, defending 178, Bangladesh had them reeling at 78 for 5 before luck turned. A controversial TV umpire decision overturned a clean-looking catch by Shorna off Heather Knight, who survived on 13 and went on to steer England home with an unbeaten 79.
The batters — who lacked proper match practice and hadn’t played any ODIs for months before the tournament — still performed admirably.
Rubiya Haider Jhilik’s confident half-century in the win over Pakistan, Sobhana Mostary and Rabeya’s boundary bursts against England, and Shorna Akter’s explosive 34-ball fifty against South Africa — the fastest by a Bangladeshi woman — were standout efforts. Supported by Sharmin Akhter Supta’s steady half-century, Bangladesh posted a strong 232 and had the Proteas wobbling at 78 for 5, just like England earlier, only to lose again in the final moments.
In their penultimate game of the tournament, despite being in an even stronger position, Joty’s brave batting effort with Supta’s support ended in heartbreak. As journalists, we’re running out of new words to describe their repeated near-misses—“heartbreak” keeps finding its way into every headline.
Realistically, Bangladesh’s overall performance—just two points from six matches, stuck outside the top four, with only India left to play—and the efforts of so many individuals have been truly commendable, given their experience and team standard. Yet, the points table tells a crueler tale, revealing just how massive those opportunities were and how heartbreakingly close they came to turning the tide in their favor. If only they had managed one more win from those three close contests—let alone two or more—they might still have been in the hunt for the semifinals.
If luck and execution had aligned in even one or two matches, Bangladesh women’s narrative in this World Cup could have been so different. But cricket, as always, is decided on the field—and perhaps the lessons from these heartbreaks will soon turn into the habit of finishing strong and winning the endgames for the Tigresses.