Bangladesh, Oct 14 : In a thrilling encounter at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on October 13, Bangladesh came agonisingly close to upsetting South Africa in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Chasing 233, South Africa found themselves in trouble at 78/5 in the 23rd over. Bangladesh seemed poised to pull off their first major win of the tournament.
However, the South African lower order, led by half-centuries from Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon, along with a quickfire cameo from Nadine de Klerk, guided their team to a three-wicket victory with just three balls to spare. Two crucial dropped catches in the slog overs also cost Bangladesh dearly, as their grip on the match slipped away.
The defeat left the young Bangladesh side in tears. Speaking after the match, captain Nigar Sultana expressed both pride and sadness.
“First of all, I’m really proud of the way my girls fought till the last ball. And I’m sad because they are crying in the dressing room—they are so young. I’m very happy with the 110 percent they have given today. They are emotional, but they continue to believe that we can get this win. It was a great learning experience for us,” Sultana said.
The captain also delivered an encouraging message to her teammates, urging them to stay confident and keep improving throughout the tournament.
“I know my team is very young, but they keep growing every day. How we bounced back after the New Zealand game was brilliant. Be proud of your performance in the middle. We still have three more games, so keep your heads high. We gave them a tough time, and we should continue to play this way,” she added.
Bangladesh currently sits sixth on the points table but remains alive in the race for a semifinal spot. Their next match is against defending champions Australia, led by Alyssa Healy, at the same venue on October 16.