T20 World Cup: 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.
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.
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The defeat leaves Bangladesh searching for answers ahead of their next match against Pakistan on June 20.