The third fixture of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 brings an exciting South Asian showdown as Bangladesh take on Pakistan on October 2nd at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The action begins at 3:00 PM IST, promising a gripping clash between two sides that know each other well.
Bangladesh comes into the tournament on the back of a strong showing in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2025, where they finished second, winning three of their five matches, with losses against Pakistan and the West Indies. Their warm-up campaign saw mixed fortunes: their opening fixture against South Africa was washed out, but they edged past Sri Lanka in a nail-biter by just 1 run.
Pakistan, meanwhile, sailed through their qualifiers at home, going undefeated to book their ticket to the main event. Following that, they hosted South Africa in a three-match ODI series. Although they lost the first two games (by 8 wickets and 25 runs DLS), the hosts roared back in the third, skittling South Africa for just 115 before sealing victory by 6 wickets. In their warm-up games, rain ruined one match, while in the other they narrowly lost to South Africa by 4 wickets.
Squads:
Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team
Nigar Sultana Joty (C), Nahida Akter, Farzana Haque, Rubya Haider Jhelik, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Nishita Akter Nishi, Sumaiya Akter
Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team
Fatima Sana (C), Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (VC), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Syeda Aroob Shah
Players to watch out:
Nigar Sultana Joty
Bangladesh’s captain and wicketkeeper has become their most dependable batter in the past few years. In 58 ODIs, she has scored 1,316 runs, including a century, and this year alone she has added 334 runs in 8 matches. Joty is known for building partnerships in the middle order and for stabilising innings under pressure. Behind the stumps, she remains sharp, holding the record for the most dismissals in an ODI series (26) and the third-most stumpings (10) overall.
Nahida Akter
The 25-year-old left-arm spinner leads Bangladesh’s bowling attack. With 69 wickets from 54 ODIs and a career-best of 5/21, she offers control as well as penetration in the middle overs. In 2025, Nahida has taken 10 wickets in 8 matches, with 4/40 being her best return. Her ability to bowl long spells economically makes her central to Bangladesh’s bowling plans, particularly in subcontinental conditions.
Sidra Amin
The experienced opener has been the most consistent batter in the Pakistan lineup over the past two years. In 77 ODIs, she has scored 2,271 runs, including 6 centuries and the highest score of 176*. Her form was outstanding in the home series against South Africa, where she struck 121*, 122, and 50* in three matches. She carried that into the warm-ups, adding an unbeaten 37. Sidra’s ability to play long innings and convert starts makes her Pakistan’s key batting option.
Fatima Sana
At just 23, Pakistan’s captain is already established as a genuine all-rounder. From 49 ODIs, she has taken 63 wickets with the ball and scored 593 runs with the bat. While her home series against South Africa earlier this year was quiet in terms of wickets, she responded well in the warm-ups, scoring 64 runs and taking 1/30 against the same opponents. Her dual role provides balance to Pakistan’s side.
Pitch:
The R. Premadasa Stadium is a batting-friendly venue, with an average first-innings score hovering around 288. However, spinners find assistance as the game progresses, particularly under the lights. The team winning the toss may prefer bowling first to exploit early moisture and set up a chase.
Weather:
Colombo will see hot and humid conditions with temperatures around 31°C. Cloud cover is expected, along with a 40% chance of rain. Humidity could touch 71%, and a gentle breeze at 18 kph might give seamers some early swing.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Nigar Sultana Joty, Farzana Haque, Nahida Akter, Shorna Akter, Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan, Fatima Sana, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Diana Baig
Match Details:
Date – October 2, 2025
Time – 3:00 PM IST
Venue – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Broadcast – Live streaming on JioHotstar; Telecast on Star Sports Network
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