Marufa Akter (born 1 January 2005) is a Bangladeshi cricketer who plays for the Bangladesh women's national cricket team as a right-arm medium fast bowler.[1][2]

Marufa Akter
Personal information
Full name
Marufa Akter
Born (2005-01-01) 1 January 2005 (age 19)
Nilphamari, Bangladesh
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium fast
RoleBowler
International information
National side
ODI debut (cap 31)11 December 2022 v New Zealand
Last ODI21 March 2024 v Australia
T20I debut (cap 35)4 December 2022 v New Zealand
Last T20I8 December 2023 v South Africa
T20I shirt no.90
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2022Sylhet Division
2022/23Jamuna
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I
Matches 15 23
Runs scored 47 9
Batting average 9.40 1.80
100s/50s 0/0 0/0
Top score 15* 4
Balls bowled 453 394
Wickets 11 18
Bowling average 31.36 23.38
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 4/29 3/23
Catches/stumpings 3/– 3/–
Source: CricketArchive, 20 March 2024
Medal record
Representing  Bangladesh
Women's Cricket
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Team

Early life

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She born in Nilphamari District of Bangladesh and she lives in Saidpur, a small town in the Nilphamari district.[3] Her father is a farmer. Her older brother encouraged her to play cricket. Her favorite player is Hardik Pandya.[4] In the perior of lock down she handed over her first earnings from cricket in Cox's Bazaar training camp of US$ 412.[3] Marufa went on to attend the country's biggest sports institution: Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) where she learnt some of the skills she showed off on the world's biggest stage.[4]

International career

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In November 2022, Marufa was earned maiden call-up for national team of Bangladesh to ODI and T20I squad for the series against New Zealand.[5][6] She made her Twenty20 International (T20I) debut against New Zealand in the same series on 4 December 2022.[7] She made her One Day International (ODI) debut against New Zealand on 11 December 2024.[8]

In December 2022, she was selected to Bangladesh women's under-19 cricket team for the 2023 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup.[9][10][11] She took 8 wickets from that tournament with best bowling figure 2/16 in 4 overs against United Arab Emirates women's under-19 cricket team.

In January 2023 she was named in Bangladesh's T20I squad for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.[12][13] She took 4 wickets in that tournament with best bowling figure 3/23 in 4 overs against Sri Lanka.

On 16 July 2023, she took 4 wickets of 29 runs in her 7 overs in the first ODI again India,[14] helping Bangladesh to first win against India in ODIs by 40 runs,[15] and she got Player of the Match award.[16]

In August 2023, she was selected to the national team for the 2022 Asian Games.[17] She was the part of Bronze medal winning team of Bangladesh in that tournament.[18][19]

In January 2024, Marufa was nominated for ESPNcricinfo Awards 2023 Women's ODI bowling for her maiden four-wicket haul against India,[20] and won that award in the following month.[21]

She was named in the Bangladesh squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Marufa Akter". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Marufa Akter". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Covid-19 lockdown threatens to push Bangladesh's fringe cricketers out of the game". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "From working at her father's farm to bowling to the best, Marufa is out to win the world". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh Women's Team announced for Tour of New Zealand 2022". Bangladesh Cricket Board. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Bangladesh Women name four uncapped players for New Zealand tour". ESPNcricinfo. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  7. ^ "2nd T20I, Dunedin, December 04, 2022, Bangladesh Women tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  8. ^ "1st ODI, Wellington, December 11, 2022, Bangladesh Women tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Bangladesh squad for ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup announced". Bangladesh Cricket Board. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Under-19 women's T20 WC: 16 teams, four groups, two venues". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Bangladesh U19 Announces squad for the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup". Female Cricket. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Bangladesh pick four Under-19 players in senior Women's T20 World Cup squad". ESPNcricinfo. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Bangladesh call up U19 stars for Women's T20 World Cup squad". International Cricket Council. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  14. ^ "'It's definitely part of history' – Nigar Sultana hails 'huge achievement' by Bangladesh". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Marufa, Rabeya script Bangladesh's first ODI win vs India". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. ^ "1st ODI, Mirpur, July 16, 2023, India Women tour of Bangladesh". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Bangladesh Women's squad for 19th Asian Games, Hangzhou, China announced". Bangladesh Cricket Board. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Bangladesh crush Pakistan to win bronze in women's cricket". Prothomalo. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Bangladesh win bronze beating Pakistan". The Business Post. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  20. ^ "ESPNcricinfo Awards 2023 Women's ODI bowling nominees: Marufa chokes India, Gaur crushes Sri Lanka". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  21. ^ "ESPNcricinfo Awards 2023 Women's ODI bowling winner: Marufa four, Bangladesh won". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Bangladesh Squad for ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024". Bangladesh Cricket Board. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
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