In a breakout performance at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2026, 19-year-old Bangladeshi leg-spin all-rounder Shorna Akter emerged as a joint-second highest wicket-taker for her unbeaten side, claiming 8 wickets across 7 matches at an astonishing average of 9.87 and economy of 5.26.
She complemented this with an explosive 86 runs at a strike rate of 162.26 (average 17.20) in 6 innings, powering Bangladesh, led by skipper Nigar Sultana Joty, to the top of the points table with 10 points from 5 games and a ticket to the 10th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales (June 12 to July 5).
Shorna’s comfort on the big stage belies her youth. Debuting in T20Is on February 12, 2023, against Sri Lanka at Cape Town during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, she’s since snared 22 wickets in 32 innings across 42 matches (average 20.95, economy 7.14), including a five-wicket haul.
With the bat, she’s amassed 396 runs in 37 innings (strike rate 95.88, average 13.65). In ODIs, since her debut on July 16, 2023, against India at Mirpur (a 40-run win for Bangladesh), she’s taken 10 wickets in 16 innings over 25 matches (average 30.80, economy 4.57) and scored 244 runs in 21 innings (strike rate 67.77, average 15.25), featuring a half-century.
Her pinnacle batting moment arrived at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 on October 13 against South Africa in Visakhapatnam: the fastest ODI fifty by a Bangladeshi woman off just 34 balls (strike rate 145.71), laced with 3 fours and 3 sixes, the first such trio of maximums for any Bangladeshi in ODIs. Rewind to the inaugural ICC Women’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa 2023, where she led Bangladesh’s batting with 153 runs in 5 innings (strike rate 157.73, average 51), earning the only spot for a Bangladeshi in the tournament’s Team of the Tournament.
Reflecting on her rapid rise in an exclusive with Vishal Yadav Female Cricket interview, Shorna exudes quiet confidence. “Actually, I’m still very young, although it has been three years since I started playing in the national team. So, I feel very good when I play with the team, and I always enjoy it,” she says, crediting the Qualifiers for a massive boost: “Alhamdulillah that we could qualify.”
Her journey began on a dusty field beside her home, tagging along with her two brothers. “They wouldn’t let me play because I’m young and a girl. Women’s cricket is actually very difficult. Everyone used to talk a lot,” she recalls.
Societal pressures weighed heavily; her mother and sister hesitated amid gossip, but her father and uncle fueled her fire. “My actual inspiration is my uncle, who taught me cricket by holding my hand, saying if boys can, you can too.”
That resolve shone in clutch moments, like her ODI fifty. “When I went to bat, our score was low. Shuktara apu and Sobhana apu told me: ‘You are the key player, play your game without any fear,'” Shorna shares. She thrives in death overs, armed with fearless plans: “Whenever I go down, I always try to maximise my impact with the bat by scoring some quick runs.”
Idols? Shane Warne for spin, Nigar Sultana Joty and Hardik Pandya for all-round flair. South Africa unlocked her best side of her U19 six and T20I five-for at Benoni. Even debut woes (appendicitis striking on her birthday against India) couldn’t derail her; teammates’ words, “You are a strong girl”, sparked a comeback.
Looking ahead to the T20 World Cup, her ultimate dream is clear: “ICC Player of the Year.” Hunger drives her: “Everyone says I am the team’s best fielder. I want to give my everything to my country and my team.” To young Bangladeshi girls dreaming big: “I count myself lucky, try to give my best as much as I can.” Fans, she urges, “Please support us, pray for us, we will always try our best.”
Shorna Akter isn’t just qualifying for World Cups, she’s redefining Bangladesh women’s cricket, one fearless leg-spin and towering six at a time.
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