In the battle of the laggards and two qualifying teams, Bangladesh face off against Pakistan at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in Match 3 of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Both teams made it to this tournament on the basis of Qualifiers that was held in Lahore earlier this year. Pakistan remained unbeaten in that competition while Bangladesh were not far behind.
Bangladesh will be led by Nigar Sultana Joty while Fatima Sana will lead Pakistan. Both teams have their strengths and weaknesses and will have areas to work on going forward. It’s a clash of equals with Pakistan starting as slight favourites. But there is nothing really to choose between the two teams at this stage. Let’s see how things unfold in this game.
Overview
This is an all Asian clash and the second one of the competition but it features two teams that are trying to find their feet. This match is being played at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo as Pakistan are in the spotlight and due to geopolitical reasons they won’t play in India. So, Colombo is set to host this clash.
There’s hardly anything to choose as far as head-to-head is concerned with nothing separating the two sides in ODIs. Both teams have won 8 matches each against each. Fatima Sana will lead Pakistan while Nigar Sultana will lead Bangladesh.
Bangladesh will take confidence from their narrow win over Sri Lanka in the warm-up match, where they edged out the hosts by a solitary run. That strong performance should boost their morale heading into this crucial contest. On the other hand, Pakistan lost their warm-up match against South Africa. Prior to that, they hosted the Proteas Women for a three-match series at home, which they lost 1-2.
Apart from their skipper, Bangladesh will rely heavily on Sharmin Akhter to do the bulk of the scoring. She has accumulated over 1,100 runs in ODIs. Rubya Haider, who impressed in the warm-up game against Sri Lanka, is in line to make her ODI debut. In the bowling department, Marufa Akter will lead the pace attack. Familiar names like Nahida Akter, Fahima Khatun, and the 20-year-old Rabeya Khan who can also contribute with the bat if needed adds depth to the line-up.
For Pakistan, the onus will be on Sidra Ameen, who recently became the first Pakistani batter to score back-to-back ODI centuries. Muneeba Ali will also be crucial in providing a solid start at the top. The middle order looks stable with the presence of Natalia Parvez, Aliya Riaz, and skipper Fatima Sana herself.
In the bowling unit, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu, and Omaima Sohail form a potent spin trio, offering both control and wicket-taking options. So, the stage is set for the battle of the laggards and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top at the end of the night in Colombo.
Head-To-Head
Both teams have played each other a total of 16 matches with both Pakistan and Bangladesh winning 8 match each. In the last 10 meetings, it is 6-4 in favour of Bangladesh with Pakistan winning the latest encounter on 19th April 2025.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at the Premadasa Stadium offers a balanced surface which is flat in nature but deteriorates as the match progresses. The surface will favour the spinners as the game wears on. The black soil wicket provides consistent bounce early but will become slower and grippier assisting turn and variable bounce in the middle overs. Pacers get minimal seam or swing, especially under day-night conditions which made it a spinner’s paradise for sub-continental clashes.
According to the weather forecast, the match day is likely to see a passing shower or two in the morning. The afternoon is likely to be overcast and remain so for the rest of the day. One could witness some interruption in play in the day.
Possible/Predicted Playing XIs of both sides
Here, we will predict the possible playing XIs of both sides.
Bangladesh XI: Shorna Akter, Farzana Hoque, Sharmin Akter, Nigar Sultana Joty (c & wk), Sobhana Mostary, Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Sumaiya Akter, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter.
Pakistan XI: Muneeba Ali (wk), Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz, Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Nigar Sultana Joty: The mainstay of the Bangladesh batting, Joty will be tasked to lead from the front. She will need support but will need to lead from the front in order for the team to shine and do well over here. Nigar Sultana keeps wickets and captains the side and leads from the front and must do the same later today.
Sharmin Akhter: Sharmin has been the standout batter for Bangladesh and will need to do well for her side in order to put a competitive score on the board. She has been in rich vein of form and all of Bangladesh will want her to continue in the same vein against Pakistan if they want to start their campaign with a win. It’s important she stands up under pressure.
Fatima Sana: The Pakistan captain and all-rounder has a dual job of leading the side and also perform well with bat and ball. She bats low down the order and can be a handy player with the bat and then pick up important wickets with the ball with her seam up deliveries. She is also a cool customer and has the right temperament. She will hope to do well and lead from the front for Pakistan’s point of view.
Sidra Amin: Sidra Amin has been in red hot form and been a mainstay in the Pakistan batting line up. She recently notched up a hundred against South Africa and much will depend on Amin and her form for Pakistan to put the runs on the board. If she does well, Pakistan are surely going to do well as well. It’s important she gets the crucial runs in for her side.
Key Stats/Records to look forward to in this clash
- Ritu Moni needs 2 fours to complete 50 ODI fours.
- Aliya Riaz requires 6 fours to reach 150 ODI fours.
- Sidra Nawaz is 67 runs short of 500 ODI runs.
- Nashra Sandhu with 104 wickets needs 5 more wickets to surpass Nida Dar who has 108 wickets to become Pakistan’s second-highest ODI wicket-taker behind only Sana Mir who has 151 wickets to her name.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match
It is the clash of equals and laggards in Colombo and this match can go either way we feel. The pitch will aid spinners and both teams have plethora of spinners in their ranks. It is anybody’s game as the head-to-head is level with nothing to choose from. We will still give a slight edge to Pakistan in this clash as they have a better team than Bangladesh. But the Tigress will not be left behind and can roar out there.
Let’s see how the game unfolds in the afternoon in Colombo weather permitting and we could see another thriller instore for us.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: Ashleigh Gardner’s Superlative 2nd ODI Ton Powers Australia Past 300.