Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana has backed her side to upset Australia when they play their first-ever ODI series on Australian soil, starting at Allan Border Field on Friday.
Bangladesh women's ODI captain Nigar Sultana Joty has talked up her side's belief ahead of a historic series, telling Cricinfo (byline Mohammad Isam) on Thursday 8 October 2026 that Bangladesh "can surprise any team when we perform as a whole unit". The three-match ODI series against Australia opens at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Friday 9 October.
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | Three ODIs, Australia women v Bangladesh women; counts towards the ICC Women's Championship |
| 1st ODI | Friday 9 October 2026, 2:20pm local (5:20am UK, 9:50am IST); then 11 and 14 October |
| Venue | Allan Border Field, Brisbane (all three matches) |
| Historic first | Bangladesh women's first bilateral ODI series in Australia and first ODI tour of the country; the two sides meet in the format for the first time |
| Bangladesh captain | Nigar Sultana Joty (Nahida Akter is vice-captain) |
| Australia captain | Tahlia McGrath (regular skipper Sophie Molineux is out with a hip injury) |
The 'surprise' warning
Sultana's message is about collective strength rather than any one star. Her side go in as underdogs, but she has framed the series as a chance to show what Bangladesh can do when everything clicks together. Sultana was retained as ODI captain; reports say she recently stepped down from the T20I captaincy after Bangladesh lost to Pakistan in the Asian Games bronze-medal match, saying she wanted to focus more on her batting.
The series also matters in the table. It counts towards the ICC Women's Championship, where Bangladesh are currently eighth, so points in Brisbane could improve their position on the qualification pathway.
Why the odds are stacked
Australia are the world's top-ranked side and clear favourites. They toured Bangladesh earlier this year for a T20I series and won it 3-0, according to Wisden. The hosts are missing some names: Molineux, Lucy Hamilton and Darcie Brown are ruled out and Grace Harris has been dropped, so Tahlia McGrath leads. Otherwise Australia are close to full strength, with Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney and Megan Schutt in the squad.
New faces in the touring party
Bangladesh's 16-member squad: Nigar Sultana Joty (captain), Nahida Akter (vice-captain), Shorna Akter, Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Sarmin Sultana, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sanjida Akter Meghla, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, Farzana Haque, Disha Biswas, Murshida Khatun and Habiba Islam Pinky.
Uncapped pace-bowling allrounders Disha Biswas and 17-year-old Habiba Islam Pinky earn maiden call-ups, according to Cricbuzz, while Murshida Khatun and Farzana Haque are recalled. Pacer Marufa Akter spearheads the bowling attack.
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