Ritu Moni reached a quiet but significant milestone on 25 June 2026, her 150th international appearance, during Bangladesh’s Group stage meeting with India at Emirates Old Trafford in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The seasoned 33-year-old all-rounder, a mainstay of Bangladesh cricket across formats for well over a decade, produced one of her more rounded displays of the tournament: a late cameo of 8 from 4 balls and a tidy bowling spell of 4-0-29-2 as Bangladesh posted their highest-ever T20 World Cup total of 136 for 8. Though India chased the target with five wickets in hand and 19 balls to spare, Ritu’s contribution was emblematic of the value she continues to bring: experience, useful lower-order runs and a vital pace bowling option at crucial phases of the game.
Making her ODI debut on 20 August 2012 against Pakistan in Dublin and her T20I debut eight days later vs Ireland, Ritu’s longevity is reflected in the numbers she’s compiled across formats. In ODIs, she has scored 641 runs in 45 innings at an average of 17.32 and a strike-rate of 62.23, including an unbeaten fifty across 57 matches, while also claiming 22 wickets at an average of 39.81 and an economy of 4.57 in 43 bowling innings.
In T20Is, across 93 matches and 72 innings, she has contributed 565 runs at a strike-rate of 82.36 and an average of 10.86, and bowled with notable effectiveness, 47 wickets at an average of 21.10 and an economy of 5.95 in 63 bowling innings, including multiple four-wicket hauls.
Ritu Moni’s recent form underlines her continued relevance. On 2nd June 2026, in the Scotland Tri-nation Series at Edinburgh, she produced a match-turning performance of 2-0-12-4 in the second innings of the fourth match, helping Bangladesh to a 34-run victory. That display typified her blend of control and wicket-taking ability, which has been invaluable to Bangladesh’s pace bowling unit.
This World Cup marks Ritu’s sixth appearance in the tournament since 2016. Her overall World Cup record speaks to her role as a supporting match-winner: 87 runs at a strike-rate of 61.7 and an average of 7.25 across 16 matches and 13 innings, and 13 wickets at an average of 19.38 and an economy of 6.14 in 15 bowling innings, figures that include a four-wicket haul. In the ongoing 10th edition, through four matches, she has taken four wickets at an average of 19.50 and an economy of 6.00, while contributing 31 runs from three innings at a strike-rate of 67.39.
At Old Trafford, after Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty won the toss and elected to bat, Ritu’s lower-order cameo helped nudge the side to their tournament-best total, while her two wickets, of Yastika Bhatia (23) and Jemimah Rodrigues (26), came at key moments as India were looking to accelerate, keeping the net run rate in mind. Those scalps highlighted the subtle variations she has refined over the years at the international level. Line and length accuracy, variation in pace and accurate lines that force mistakes from even the cleanest strokemakers.
Ritu Moni’s 150th cap is more than a number; it is a testament to resilience, adaptability and consistent team contribution. As Bangladesh navigates the remainder of the World Cup, sitting fourth with four points from four games, they will continue to lean on veterans like Ritu for composure in tight spells and match-defining moments.
For a player whose career has been built on steady service rather than headlines, this milestone is a deserved recognition of sustained excellence for Bangladesh women’s cricket.
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