Bangladesh Women's Cricket: Power Hitting and Pace Concerns in Asia Cup
Bangladesh’s women cricketers walked out of the Asia Cup with the same old bruise: not enough power, not enough pace, and not enough belief when it mattered most.
Their semifinal defeat to India in the 2026 Asia Cup did not just end a campaign. It underlined a pattern that has been building for years.
Power shortage at both ends of the innings
Against India, the contrast was brutal and immediate. In the Powerplay, Bangladesh crawled to 26 for 1. India, with intent and range, raced to 45 for 1. The tone of the game was set in those first six overs.
At the death, the gap widened. India hammered 42 runs in the final four overs for the loss of three wickets. Bangladesh mustered only 25 for two in the same phase. The scoreboard told the story of a side that can occupy the crease but rarely dominate it.
A coach closely involved in the development of women’s cricket in Bangladesh, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not sugarcoat the issue.
“When it comes to powerplay execution, Bangladesh have to increase their boundary hitting ability considering if they can hit more boundaries it is better for them as they struggle in the middle overs. If they have a good start and add 40-50 runs to the total it is better for them. This is a very important point that we need to address,” he told Cricbuzz.
The numbers around six-hitting sharpen that point. Since January 2025, India have cleared the ropes 100 times in T20Is, more than any other side. South Africa sit on 77, West Indies 63, Namibia 60. Bangladesh, interestingly, are not at the bottom of that list. They have struck 55 sixes in that period – more than Pakistan (50), England (45), New Zealand (43), Australia (41) and Sri Lanka (40).
Yet in this Asia Cup, when pressure and quality spiked, the power game disappeared. Bangladesh hit just four sixes in the entire tournament. India smashed 25. Sri Lanka, the next best, managed five.
The gap is not just technical. It is structural.
Over-reliance on Shorna, questions over the middle order
At the back end of the innings, Bangladesh’s options narrow dramatically. The same coach pointed to a glaring over-reliance on one player.
“Bangladesh lack hitters in the death overs as they don't have many players to take advantage during that time and, as a result, they are lagging far behind in this situation. Except Shorna Akter there doesn't seem to be many power hitters. It is the reality and backfires against the opposition (like India). Bangladesh rely a lot on Shorna and when she fails their plans are not executed. When she clicks they get to totals around 130-140 and it is a thing that should be looked at for the future.
“Bangladesh should add two-three players for power hitting as even though they have experienced middle-order in the form of Joty, Sobhana and Supta, but in the death overs the difference is created,” he added.
That reliance on one finisher is a fragile model in T20 cricket. When Shorna Akter fires, Bangladesh can push totals into the 130-140 range. When she doesn’t, the innings often stalls, and the opposition knows it.
The broader record in major tournaments reflects that ceiling. Since their famous Asia Cup triumph in 2018, Bangladesh have managed one fifth-place finish and two semifinal exits in the last three editions. On the global stage, the story is harsher: they have never gone beyond the first round of a T20 World Cup, winning just two of their first 13 games in the main draw.
The pattern keeps repeating. The tools are not evolving fast enough.
Pace attack built on one shoulder
The batting is not the only department under scrutiny. With the ball, Bangladesh lean heavily on Marufa Akter, and the load is starting to show.
“Bangladesh rely a lot on Marufa Akter and now it is important to add new pacers to the line-up. International cricket is played on better wickets and though the Asia Cup was an exception where pitches weren't like that in the World Cup and Bangladesh faced a situation where it looked like they needed a better pace attack. They need two-three more pace bowlers and also a pace-bowling all-rounder considering this is an area of concern for them,” the coach said.
On truer surfaces, with batters willing to hit hard down the ground and across the line, one frontline seamer is not enough. Bangladesh have built a reputation on discipline and spin, but modern T20 demands options: different angles, change-ups at pace, and a seam unit that can both attack and defend.
The call is clear – they need fresh faces in the T20I set-up, and they need them quickly.
“Bangladesh need to include young players who are fit and agile and can match up with requirements of T20 cricket and for that the pipeline is important. So it is very urgent for them to look from age-level like U-19 cricket.
“Most of the Bangladeshi women cricketers are playing in the team for many days but if they can improve their pipeline and allow the new players to express themselves internationally, they will take less time to adapt. They need players who are appropriate for T20 cricket,” he added.
The message: loyalty to experience must not block the path for the next generation.
Fitness, fear and the mental barrier
Technical gaps can be measured. Fitness and mindset are harder to quantify, but another coach involved with the game in Bangladesh believes those areas are just as critical.
“Fitness is a major concern and one needs to understand the reality of women's cricket - considering when it comes to food (intake) and culture it is really important that it comes from the players' side.
“It is a concern if they think they should maintain fitness only during national camps. The reality of international cricket, especially in T20 cricket, is those who are strong, fit and quick, they are adding 10-12 runs be it in batting, or fielding where if you can save five runs it really (makes a difference),” he said.
He stressed that the current group is not unfit in absolute terms, but the benchmark is global, not local.
“It is not a fact that the current crop are unfit players but many suggest they have to be fit in terms of international standard and so matching up to that is a major concern as the players have to be aware of this fully and concerned about their fitness.”
Then comes the intangible weight: fear of failure.
“Bangladeshi women's cricketers need to break free from fear of failure. For that they need to create a learning environment so even if they fail they are backed. Sometimes there can be experimentation but team management needs to give the cricketers the luxury and the freedom that they will be backed by the team management even if they fail, and it is important to develop that environment.
“The players need to come out of this mental aspect. They need to have the mindset that doesn't allow them to stay in their comfort zone and to get out of this comfort zone one has to overcome the fear of failure,” he added.
Power hitting, pace depth, fitness, mentality – they are all threads of the same fabric. Bangladesh’s women have shown they can compete. The question now is whether they are ready to tear up parts of their own template to finally break through.
