“I want to ensure there are one or two players who can fill my gap when I have left the dressing room”

Mohammad Isam20-Nov-2025Mushfiqur Rahim feels his 20-plus years of experience in international cricket helped prepare him for the expectations, pressure and hype around his 100th Test match. Mushfiqur became the eleventh cricketer to score a century in their 100th Test, particularly important in the way he dragged the team out of trouble on the first morning.Mushfiqur put together two century stands, 107 for the fourth wicket with Mominul Haque and 108 for the fifth wicket with Litton Das, but he had to endure a nervous evening on Wednesday as he was unbeaten on 99 overnight. His on-field performance wasn’t much of a surprise given that he was in good form in Bangladesh’s previous Test series in June. Mushfiqur said that he is still pinching himself for becoming the first cricketer from Bangladesh to reach the 100-Test milestone.”I can’t believe that someone from Bangladesh has played a hundred Tests, so it’s really a huge achievement,” Mushfiqur said. “It is a proud moment for any player. So obviously I am happy that I could be that person. There’s more responsibility on me. I want to give back for as long as I am playing for Bangladesh, and I want to ensure there are one or two players who can fill my gap when I have left the dressing room.”I think 100 is a huge number, so I have learned many things while getting there. I have tried to gather experience and learned how to stay calm. To be honest, I really want to thank the BCB for what they planned on the first morning. It really feels great and I really felt honoured. I think this type of recognition can work as an inspiration for cricketers. It is important for them to dream that they want to play 100 Tests.”Related

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Mushfiqur said that he was eyeing up a big hundred in the first innings, an aspect of his career that has become more frequent in the last five years.”I tried to reach the milestone last evening since these things are not easy. They could have bowled one more over but I understand it is a tactical thing. I think we would have done the same thing if we were the fielding side.”At the same time, I wanted to score a big hundred, rather than just getting to the mark. I tried to motivate myself that I want to score 60 or 70 more runs, not just the one run. I wanted to bat till Litton got to his century. I couldn’t do it, but Miraz batted well after that,” he said.This has been a week of reflections in Bangladesh cricket. Many of Mushfiqur’s former team-mates and coaches have paid tribute to his career. It was also necessary to listen to what Mushfiqur had to say about his milestone, especially given the high value he places on Test cricket.”I told the team huddle on the first day that the team always comes first. Mushfiqur Rahim is because of Bangladesh. I think I am like a drop in the ocean. Bangladesh comes first, and a win in this Test match will be my biggest gift whether I score or not,” he said.Mushfiqur Rahim walks out to bat in his 100th Test•BCBMushfiqur, who grew up in the northern town of Bogra before enrolling in BKSP, the country’s biggest sports institute, said that he would dedicate the century in his 100th Test to his grandparents.”I want to dedicate the century to my paternal and maternal grandparents. They were my biggest fans when they were alive. They told me shortly before they died that they want to live a little longer to watch me play. I think very rarely do anyone get such grandparents. Their blessings have brought me this far.”Mushfiqur said that he is looking forward to Bangladesh’s next Test assignment: the two-match series against Pakistan at home in April, but didn’t reveal too much about his long-term future.”I think there’s a four-month break, after which we will play against Pakistan. Nothing more than that. I know I have to keep improving. I want to play as long as the team and team management wants me to play, and I know if the team wants me to continue, I will continue to play.”

Leeds United currently find themselves in the relegation zone in the Premier League ahead of games against Chelsea and Liverpool at Elland Road this week.

The Whites have lost their last four matches in the top-flight and there is now speculation over the short-term future of their head coach, Daniel Farke.

The Guardian claims that senior figures at Thorp Arch expect the German manager to be sacked by the 49ers if he oversees losses to Chelsea and Liverpool in the next five days or so, after the 3-2 loss to Manchester City on Saturday.

It is hard not to feel a bit sorry for the former Norwich coach, though, because several of his stars from the 100-point Championship promotion campaign have failed to make the step up required to perform in the Premier League.

Leeds players who have failed to make the step up to the Premier League

Joel Piroe is perhaps the most obvious example of a player who has failed to make the step up from the Whites’ exceptional season in the second tier.

The Dutchman was the top scorer in the Championship last term, with 19 goals, yet has found himself as the third-choice striker behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, and has yet to score in seven outings this season, per Sofascore.

Ao Tanaka, meanwhile, was willing to candidly admit that his level is “not good enough” at the moment, as he has lost 58% of his duels in midfield across ten appearances in the top-flight, per Sofascore.

After 12 goals and nine assists in the 2024/25 campaign, Daniel James has failed to produce a single goal or assist for the Whites this term, per Sofascore, which shows that the Welsh winger has also struggled to deal with the step up.

Another one of last season’s stars who has failed to step up to the top-flight is right-back Jayden Bogle, who was exceptional in the Championship last term.

Why Jayden Bogle has been a liability for Leeds this season

The £45k-per-week star was described as a “massive signing” by pundit Micah Richards earlier this year, and it was hard to argue with that assessment after his form in his first year at Elland Road.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

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Bogle scored six goals and created 11 ‘big chances’ in the Championship for Leeds, whilst also proving himself to be a solid defender at that level by winning 55% of his ground duels and 52% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore.

However, the step up to the Premier League is a significant one, and Bogle has been unable to make it, which has made him the club’s biggest defensive liability since Rasmus Kristensen in the 2022/23 campaign when they were last relegated from the division.

The Danish flop was a liability for the Whites that season because he offered little to the team from a creative perspective in possession, whilst being far too easy for opposition players to get the better of defensively.

Premier League

Kristensen – 22/23

Bogle – 25/26

Appearances

26

13

Sofascore rating

6.70

6.36

Key passes per game

0.3

0.3

Assists

1

0

Dribbled past

34x

13x

Ground duel success rate

54%

48%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

44%

Error led to goal

0

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Bogle has lost an even higher percentage of his duels on the deck and in the air than Kristensen did in the Premier League that season, whilst creating the same number of chances per game on average.

These statistics both illustrate how underwhelming the English full-back has been, as he has failed to transfer his Championship form over to the top-flight, and how he has been even worse than Kristensen was in a relegation campaign for the Whites.

Bogle’s Premier League struggles should not come as a massive surprise, though, because Leeds signed him off the back of playing in 34 of Sheffield United’s 38 top-flight games when they conceded a record 104 goals in 38 games, and he lost 53% of his ground duels in that time, per Sofascore.

Whilst it is still not even the halfway point in the campaign and there is time left for him to turn his season around, Bogle’s current form is on par with what he has shown in the past at this level, which was not good enough defensively then and does not look good enough now because of how easy it has been for opposition players to beat him in duels.

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Hopefully, the former Derby star can find a way to get back to his best at right-back to bring the exciting and dynamic play that he brought to the team to make him a “massive signing” in the Championship.

Three World Cup semifinals, breaking a streak, a famous farewell and more

Omkar Mankame31-Oct-2025

India won the semi-final after completing the highest chase in Women’s ODI history•Getty Images

India beat New Zealand by 40 runs

2nd semi-final, Potchefstroom, World Cup 2005India stormed into their maiden World Cup final with a convincing 40-run win, knocking out defending champions New Zealand. Asked to bat first, India were rocked by two early wickets before Anjum Chopra and captain Mithali Raj steadied the innings through a 66-run stand. After Chopra’s fall, Raj continued undaunted and led India to 204 for 6 with an unbeaten 91.Mithali Raj’s knock took India into their maiden World Cup final•Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s chase unravelled swiftly. They lost two wickets for just 13 runs before Nooshin Al Khader struck twice in her very first over to deepen the crisis. Despite Maria Fahey’s fighting 73, India’s bowlers kept their discipline to script a historic entry into the final.

India beat Australia by 36 runs

2nd semi-final, Derby, World Cup 2017A rain-reduced semi-final. A Harmanpreet Kaur hurricane. A performance that transformed women’s cricket in India. In a 42-over contest, Harmanpreet’s unbeaten 171 off 115 balls was pure theatre – measured at first, monstrous later. She walked in at 35 for 2 and walked out with Australia shell-shocked. Her first fifty took 64 balls, the next two came in just 43 combined. India ended at 281 for 4; Harmanpreet had single-handedly redrawn the boundaries of what was possible.Harmanpreet’s epic 171 not out was studded with 20 four and seven sixes•Getty ImagesAustralia’s response was spirited. Elyse Villani’s fluent 75 gave them hope before a collapse saw them lose 6 for 43. Alex Blackwell’s late charge threatened a miracle, but Deepti Sharma bowled her for 90 off 56. The win sent India into the final at Lord’s and inspired a generation back home.

India beat England by 1 wicket

1st ODI, Nagpur, 2018The first meeting between India and England since their thrilling 2017 World Cup final ended in another nail-biter. England, batting first, slipped from 71 for 0 to 124 for 6 before Fran Wilson (45) and Danielle Hazell (33) took them to 207. Smriti Mandhana’s 86 set up India’s chase beautifully at 166 for 3, but a middle-order collapse left them teetering at 190 for 9.It took an unbroken last-wicket stand of 18 between Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav to steer India home with five balls to spare, sealing a thrilling win for the World Cup runners-up over the reigning champions.Jhulan Goswami celebrates the winning hit•Getty Images

India beat Australia by 2 wickets

3rd ODI, MacKay, 2021Big runs, baffling drops, bold catches, missed run-outs, a collapse, a front-foot no-ball ruling out a wicket, and… a record chase. India had come agonisingly close to snapping Australia’s record winning streak in the previous match, but faltered at the finish. This time, they held their nerve.Batting first, Australia rode on half-centuries from Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney, plus a rapid 32-ball 47 from Tahlia McGrath, to post 264 for 9. In reply, Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia’s century stand powered India to 160 for 1 inside 30 overs. A fightback from Australia reduced India to 208 for 6, and the tension deepened when the equation came down to four runs off the final over with two wickets in hand. Jhulan Goswami’s lofted drive off Nicola Carey finally broke Australia’s 26-match streak – a moment to savour for the veteran.Deepti Sharma runs out Charlie Dean backing up at the non-striker’s end•Getty Images

India beat England by 16 runs

3rd ODI, Lord’s, 2022India’s first ODI series win in England since 1999 led to tears on both sides – the Indians over the end of Goswami’s exemplary two-decade career and Charlie Dean at the thought of taking her side so close only to be undone in this way. The anticlimactic finish occurred in the 44th over, when running in to bowl the fourth ball, Deepti noticed Dean backing up too far at the non-strikers’ end and ran her out to claim the final wicket.Earlier, fifties from Mandhana and Deepti had taken India to 169 after being reduced to 29 for 4 inside the first hour. In reply, England were four down inside 12 overs and writing was on the wall at 65 for 7. Dean stitched partnerships of 38, 15, and 35 with the remaining batters but she was caught short with England 16 adrift.Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur take a moment off during their big stand•BCCI

India beat South Africa by 4 runs

2nd ODI, Bengaluru, 2024Four centuries – a first in a women’s ODI – and 646 runs in total. The game had everything, and it ended with a last-ball finish that went India’s way. Asked to bat first, India piled up their third-highest ODI total – 325 for 3 – with Mandhana and Harmanpreet smashing 136 and 103 not out respectively. South Africa, reduced to 67 for 3, seemed out of the contest until Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp’s 184-run partnership took the game deep.It was down to ten required off the final over. Pooja Vastrakar conceded five off her first two balls and then struck twice in the next two. With five needed off the last delivery, Wolvaardt, finally back on strike, was deceived by a back-of-the-hand slower one.Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues kept India going•ICC/Getty Images

India beat Australia by 5 wickets

2nd semi-final, DY Patil, World Cup 2025India ended Australia’s latest World Cup juggernaut by producing the highest successful chase in women’s ODI history. Opting to bat, Australia were cruising towards 350, thanks to Phoebe Litchfield’s exuberant maiden World Cup hundred, and half-centuries from Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner. But India’s bowlers struck late, taking 8 for 118 to restrict them to 338.India were 60 for 2 after the powerplay when Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet began a yin-yang partnership that saw the team finding the fence regularly. Once the captain fell, Rodrigues carried on to an epic unbeaten 127, supported by quickfire cameos from Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Amanjot Kaur, to help India book their place in another World Cup final.

Manchester United’s tactical imbalances have seen Ruben Amorim caught in a headwind as he fights to lift the club back into the title contention in the Premier League.

For now, inconsistency reigns, with the draw against West Ham United at Old Trafford at the weekend marking just one win across five league fixtures. Amorim’s side are 12th, four points behind fourth-place Crystal Palace, who they beat at Selhurst Park only one week ago.

Flashes of progress are dimmed by an inability to play with the balance and gusto that is needed for true success in the English top flight, and it’s clear that INEOS need to prioritise the signing of a new centre-midfielder

Why Man United need a midfielder

Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford has become a flashpoint for an outfit struggling for consistency. Many fans are perplexed at Amorim’s decision to keep him on the fringes, given the defects within the United engine room.

Casemiro is getting on a bit, and Bruno Fernandes does not boast the deep-lying profile needed to establish fluidity and work in conjunction with a tough-tackling anchor.

This is where Adam Wharton comes in. The England midfielder has been in fine fettle since joining Crystal Palace in January 2024, and the Mirror report that United have learned they will need to pay £70m to bring him to the Theatre of Dreams in 2026.

Wharton is attracting interest from numerous suitors, but the Red Devils have made him their top target, and that follows claims from the 21-year-old’s agent that his client has ambitions to star in a Champions League-competing squad.

Why Man United should sign Adam Wharton

Wharton is still young and relatively inexperienced at the highest level, but there’s no denying his quality and potential for further growth.

Hailed as a “passing machine” by journalist Henry Winter, he has been instrumental in the trophy-winning Oliver Glasner era, and his is a technical profile that has caused a stir within many elite offices across England and Europe. United need to win this race, and making Wharton a priority will help them in their bid to sign a star midfielder, someone who would eclipse Mainoo and end the malaise around the Carrington prospect’s name.

It would be negligible to pull Mainoo’s data from the current Premier League campaign, so far on the fringes he’s been, but he excelled during a 2023/24 breakout season in Erik ten Hag’s team, and from here we can see that Wharton would be an exciting upgrade on Mainoo in his finest form.

Matches (starts)

24 (24)

13 (13)

Goals

3

0

Assists

1

2

Touches*

49.0

48.2

Pass completion

87%

81%

Big chances created

0

6

Key passes*

0.6

1.5

Dribbles*

1.3

0.5

Ball recoveries*

4.0

4.5

Tackles + interceptions*

2.9

2.6

Duels won*

5.0 (52%)

3.5 (52%)

Though Wharton is less precise with his passing, this is principally because he is an inherent playmaker, looking to break lines and influence while protecting the backline behind him.

Wharton ranks, moreover, among the top 13% of Premier League midfielders this season for through balls and the top 16% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

Less of a dribbler than Mainoo, Wharton’s stable and dynamic midfield came would provide Amorim with the style he is searching for, and it could have quite the ripple effect in giving rise to wider tactical green shoots.

His ability to ‘run the show’ is something that the Red Devils simply don’t boast in the way that Amorim needs to establish full throttle, and given his obstinacy in not giving Mainoo the playing time he and the fanbase are desperate for, Wharton would provide the missing link, the tonic for all that has been inconsistent at Man United in recent times.

A new Amad: Man Utd could sign "one of the best LWs in Europe" in swap deal

Manchester United are plotting a sensational deal for this exciting winger who could be Ruben Amorim’s next Amad Diallo.

ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

Virat Kohli eased to his second successive century and Ruturaj Gaikwad hit his first in ODIs as India piled up 358 for 5 in front of 60,000-odd spectators, in the second ODI in Raipur. That total, however, didn’t turn out to be a dew-proof one, with South Africa going past the target to silence the packed crowd and set up a decider in Visakhapatnam.Aiden Markram, who led South Africa’s chase with his first hundred in an ODI chase, Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis upstaged Kohli and Gaikwad, with some help from dewy conditions. It was the joint-highest successful chase against India in men’s ODIs and South Africa’s third-highest overall in the format.When Brevis holed out for 54 off 34 balls, after raising his maiden ODI fifty, South Africa were still ahead, needing 70 off 57 balls with six wickets in hand. The visitors then suddenly fell behind when they lost Breetzke and Marco Jansen in successive overs. By the time Jansen holed out to long-off, South Africa required 37 off 33 balls with four wickets in hand. Tony de Zorzi hobbling off the field with a potential hamstring injury after 45 overs added another twist to the chase. He joined Nandre Burger, who had hurt his own hamstring and left the field earlier in the first innings.Related

• Ruturaj Gaikwad: 'I was pretty much confident' of batting at No. 4

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• Burger and de Zorzi pick up injuries during Raipur ODI

It boiled down to South Africa needing 27 off 30 balls. Corbin Bosch’s attacking enterprise and Keshav Maharaj’s calmness got the job done for them, leaving India wondering what might have been.India had to contend with multiple mishaps in the field, including Yashasvi Jaiwal dropping Markram on 53. Jaiswal got into an awkward side-on position, let the ball slip through his hands and tip over the rope for six. Markram then cranked up the tempo, launching Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja for sixes. He proceeded to bring up his hundred off 88 balls. On a day where three centuries were scored, Markram’s proved to be the match-winning one.India were up against it even before the first ball was bowled. Their wretched luck at the toss continued – they lost their 20th straight toss in ODI cricket – and Rahul made his displeasure known by throwing his head back.Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad thrilled the Raipur crowd•AFP/Getty Images

After they were asked to bat first, India moved to 40 for 0 in the fifth over, with 13 of those runs coming via wides. Burger and Lungi Ngidi, who had replaced Ottniel Baartman, found swing with the new ball, but struggled to control it. Burger, though, tightened up to have Rohit Sharma nicking behind for 14 off eight balls. Then, in the tenth over, Jansen bounced Jaiswal out for 22. Jansen then greeted Gaikwad with a nastier head-high lifter. Gaikwad took his eyes off the ball, threw his hands up in defence, and managed to glove it over the keeper for four.Gaikwad then found his groove with a brace of paddle-sweeps off Maharaj. Kohli was already set at the other end, having opened his account with a pulled six off Ngidi. He then dashed out of the crease and whacked a four straight past Bosch, leaving Gaikwad ducking for cover. When Markram pitched one too full and outside off, Kohli flat-batted him through covers.Gaikwad matched Kohli shot for shot. He pumped Maharaj over his head after stepping out and shovelled Bosch through midwicket, having even Kohli excited at the other end. He zoomed from 50 to 100 in just 25 balls. It was his 18th List A ton and first as a non-opener. Picked ahead of natural middle-order batters like Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma, Gaikwad showcased his versatility.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

After Jansen dismissed Gaikwad for 105, ending a 195-run partnership for the third wicket, Kohli went on to bring up back-to-back hundreds. It was the 11th instance of Kohli achieving the feat, easily the most by any batter in ODIs. Ngidi then stopped Kohli’s innings on 102 in the 40th over. When Washington Sundar was run-out, India slipped to 289 for 5, but Rahul took charge of the innings in the end overs to take India past 350. He combined power with invention to remain unbeaten on 66 off 43 balls. Jadeja wasn’t as fluent, managing an unbeaten 24 off 27 balls.Unlike South Africa’s quicks, India’s were largely on target with the new ball. Arshdeep Singh got one to nip away from Quinton de Kock and had him miscuing a hoick to mid-on in the fifth over for 8 off 11 balls. Harshit Rana threatened both the edges of Markram from various lengths, but the batter managed to see off the new ball and laid a strong foundation for South Africa’s chase. Temba Bavuma kept him good company in a 101-run stand for the second wicket before the South Africa captain was bounced out by Prasidh Krishna.Markram countered India’s spinners, including Kuldeep Yadav, before Rana bested him with a slower offcutter into the pitch. Breetzke and Brevis then forged a powerful partnership, pushing South Africa closer to the target. Breetzke extended his golden run in ODIs, with his seventh 50-plus score in 11 innings. Though both Breetzke and Brevis were part of a late wobble, Bosch stayed cool with Maharaj to seal South Africa’s win with four balls to spare.

Borussia Dortmund winger Julien Duranville is reportedly on the verge of a January exit after manager Niko Kovac delivered a dismal assessment of the teenager's current standing in the first-team picture. The coach admitted that "others are better" than the Belgian starlet, despite his long-awaited return to full fitness following a nightmare run of injuries.

Duranville yet to play this season

The highly-rated 19-year-old was once tipped for a bright future at the Westfalenstadion when he joined from Anderlecht in 2023. However, his time in the Bundesliga has been defined more by the treatment table than his performances on the pitch. He has made just 27 appearances in all competitions since then and is yet to make a senior appearance for the club this season. The last time he played was a brief appearance against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup during the summer after a season in which he started two of 12 Bundesliga appearances and two of his nine games in the Champions League.

According to reports from , Duranville’s camp is actively exploring options for a loan move in the winter transfer window. The decision comes directly off the back of Kovac’s public explanation for the winger's continued absence, a statement that has effectively frozen him out of the squad for the foreseeable future.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKovac gives blunt reality check

When pressed on why Duranville continues to be omitted from matchday squads despite recovering from his latest muscle injury, Croatian coach Kovac offered a response that left little room for interpretation. Kovac did not hide behind fitness concerns or tactical jargon. Instead, he pointed to the sheer weight of competition at a club of Dortmund's stature.

"We are at BVB and there are really good players at BVB," Kovac stated when asked about his absence for last weekend's game against Hoffenheim. "He is too, but the others are better."

Kovac's verdict highlights the immense challenge the player faces in trying to dislodge the likes of Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt and Maximilian Beier, who have established themselves as Kovac's preferred options in the wide areas.

The report highlights that Duranville’s time at Dortmund has been severely hampered by recurring setbacks. Since his move from Anderlecht, the winger has been plagued by muscle injuries that have stunted his development. A move back to Anderlecht in January has been considered, though Werder Bremen have been identified as a possible destination.

Cole Campbell also wants out

Duranville is not the only young talent looking for the exit door as Kovac looks to trim his squad. Cole Campbell, the 19-year-old American forward, has also reportedly submitted a request to leave in January.

Like Duranville, Campbell has found his opportunities limited and feels his development is stagnating in the Regionalliga with the reserves. He has reportedly grown frustrated with the lack of perspective in the first team and wants to prove himself at a higher level elsewhere.

With multiple young attackers expressing dissatisfaction with their game time, Dortmund face a potential reshaping of their attacking depth in January. Kovac appears willing to sanction these departures, prioritising a tighter group of players he feels he can rely on to deliver immediate results.

Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Following the fallout from the Champions League draw against Bodo/Glimt, where defender Nico Schlotterbeck criticised the substitutes for a lack of intensity, manager Kovac is under pressure to field only those players who can meet the physical and tactical demands of his system.

For Duranville, the coach's verdict is final for now. While his talent is acknowledged, the "others are better" comment confirms that his immediate future lies away from Dortmund. The January window will likely see him depart in search of the minutes he cannot find at the Westfalenstadion.

Lack of fixtures against top opposition and almost no experience in T20 leagues has hindered the development of batters in these teams

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Oct-2025Bangladesh had England under pressure at 78 for 5.Pakistan had Australia struggling at 115 for 8, and had tied England down to 133 for 9.Sri Lanka had India six down for just 124.The three teams at the bottom of the women’s World Cup points table – Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – have shown they can test stronger sides with the ball. They have also shown that their batting is not good enough to win them matches against the bigger teams.This tournament hasn’t been a run fest: there have been only two first-innings scores of 300-plus, both on flat pitches in Indore and Visakhapatnam. But even when conditions have favoured batting, those three South Asian teams haven’t been able to capitalise.Related

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Against Australia in Visakhapatnam, Bangladesh stumbled to 198 for 9 before losing by ten wickets inside 25 overs. Against South Africa, Bangladesh were crawling until Shorna Akter fired them to 232, which ultimately proved inadequate.These three sides have the lowest batting averages at this World Cup. Pakistan are at the bottom with 13.55, followed by Bangladesh (19.92) and Sri Lanka (20.27). Between the previous World Cup in 2022 and this one, they had occupied the bottom three spots in batting averages among the eight teams in this tournament.What’s holding them back?Their limited exposure against high-quality opposition has often been highlighted as a reason their batting hasn’t developed. Bangladesh’s World Cup opener against England was only their second ODI against them. Sri Lanka hadn’t faced Australia in the format since 2019, and their fixture in this World Cup was washed out.Nilakshika Silva has been promising for Sri Lanka•Getty Images”This is a stage where we show our capabilities, so teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us,” Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh captain, had said before the match against England.”Our girls are playing very few matches with those who are ranked top four in the world,” Bangladesh allrounder Rumana Ahmed told ESPNcricinfo. “So the fewer the number of matches they play against such teams, the less competitive matches they play, the lower their confidence will be.”Rumana isn’t at the World Cup squad this time, but she has been watching closely. She sees a team performing beyond expectations. “Yes, we lost by a very small margin [against England and South Africa] due to some inexperience. But they barely got to play enough international matches before the tournament. The way they are playing without that preparation is truly impressive. It is really good to see some batters who are batting very confidently, like Sobhana [Mostary], Supta [Sharmin Akhter], Shorna [Akter]. If the middle order had scored a few more runs, maybe our team could have put up a better fight against bigger teams.”The inexperience Rumana refers to is not just in terms of technique but also when it comes to handling pressure, with Bangladesh’s fielding costing them multiple times. There were several misfields and three dropped chances against South Africa. Sri Lanka, too, dropped Nat Sciver-Brunt on 3 before she scored a match-winning 117.0:58

Nawaz: ‘We are not being able to build momentum with the bat’

“Those subcontinent sides [Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka], I think their strengths have been with the ball,” Nasser Hussain, a commentator at the World Cup, said at a JioStar event. “Sometimes they’ve not been backed up in the field. But I do think the batting is where the improvement needs to come, if we’re going to get an upset in this World Cup. I think if there’s one area that could be improved on, it’s the power-hitting. You look at the stats of power-hitting sixes from Bangladesh and Pakistan, to a degree Sri Lanka, I think that is an area which could improve.”Sometimes it’s just a physical thing – like they have to use their wrists a bit more, they have to sweep, slog sweep, reverse sweep. With their bowling and their spinners, and Marufa [Akter] for Bangladesh, they will challenge any side, but not when you’re only getting [totals of] 150, 160, 170, because the other nations, as we saw with Bangladesh [against Australia] will stroll past that.”Power-hitting has emerged as a key skill with the rise of franchise leagues, most recently with three seasons of the WPL in India. Since 2023, India’s ODI run rate has climbed to 5.69 from the 4.47 they scored at between 2015 and 2020. Their boundary percentage has also gone up, from 41.15% in 2023 to over 52% in 2025. India also play top-tier sides regularly unlike the rest of the subcontinent teams.With this not being a high-scoring World Cup, the number of dot balls has also come in focus. Bangladesh (69.28%), Pakistan (68.85%) and Sri Lanka (60.58%) have the highest dot-ball percentages while batting. Unlike India, players from these teams barely have any presence in overseas leagues. Chamari Athapaththu remains the sole representative from Sri Lanka – and the only active player from these three nations – to have featured in the WBBL and the WPL (though players from Pakistan can’t play in the WPL). Sri Lanka have seen flashes of range-hitting from her and Nilakshika Silva but they remain the exceptions.

“With Pakistan, they had the likes of Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan and Nida Dar until a while ago, who used to play key roles for them. The players they have now used to play supporting roles for them”Former India batter Thirush Kamini

Rumana believes power-hitting needs training beyond the nets, and the lack of it once again comes down to the exposure these teams (don’t) get.”It’s very difficult to develop it just by practising. You need to use such shots tactically too,” Rumana says. “This means that you have to be involved in T20 or T10 leagues across the globe. If I take good teams like India and Australia, their development has been from the WPL and Women’s Big Bash [League]. If something like Women’s BPL [Bangladesh premier League] had been there in Bangladesh, maybe the power-hitting of the women’s team would have improved.”While slow pitches for domestic cricket at home have helped develop spinners, it has hindered batting progress. The Bangladesh men’s white-ball game began to evolve after a shift away from spin-friendly pitches. The BPL played a role in improving range-hitting.Sri Lanka head coach Rumesh Ratnayake acknowledged the need to assess domestic pitches, while also expressing concern over his batters’ inability to convert starts. “I think that’s a long-term goal of looking into the domestic level,” he said. “But when you’re here, we were well prepared for this. It’s a bit disappointing as a coach when [starts] don’t go into the 50s and to the big hundreds. The girls are aware of it. It’s a matter of how we should be putting it to them and it’s very important that we are very sensitive in putting it across so that they’ll be encouraged and not discouraged.”1:24

Fahima Khatun: We’ve lost games, but gained a lot of positives

Still, there has been some progress. In this World Cup, Sri Lanka have crossed 200 twice, while Bangladesh have once. However, Pakistan’s highest total is 159, with Sidra Amin their only player to score a fifty.”Sri Lanka’s average score used to be less than 200 at one point but now it’s improved,” Thirush Kamini, former India batter, said. “That’s what we should be seeing here – though the improvement is taking time, it’s still there, and we need to give them a little bit more time and exposure to be on par with the other teams.”These three teams have experienced spin departments. They have not changed their bowling much but that can’t be said of the batting. Their spinners have been leading wicket-takers for several years now. With Pakistan, they had the likes of Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan and Nida Dar until a while ago who used to play key roles for them. The players they have now used to play supporting roles for them. Suddenly when you have your main players retired and have come out of the system, the pressure is on those who played the supporting roles before.”Bangladesh are set to face India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand across formats in the current FTP cycle, with Sri Lanka and Pakistan also scheduled to play several top sides. These series present crucial opportunities for growth, particularly with the bat, for these sides before the next World Cup.

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