Marufa Akter

Marufa Akter (Bengali: মারুফা আক্তার; born 1 January 2005) is a Bangladeshi cricketer who plays for the Bangladesh women's national cricket team as a right-arm medium fast bowler.^[1][2]

Marufa Akter

Personal information
Full name	Marufa Akter
Born	(2005-01-01) 1 January 2005 (age 20) Nilphamari, Bangladesh
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	Bangladesh
ODI debut (cap 31)	11 December 2022 v New Zealand
Last ODI	25 January 2025 v West Indies
T20I debut (cap 35)	4 December 2022 v New Zealand
Last T20I	8 December 2023 v South Africa
T20I shirt no.	90
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2022	Sylhet Division
2022/23	Jamuna
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I Matches 15 23 Runs scored 47 9 Batting average 9.40 1.80 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 Top score 15* 4 Balls bowled 453 394 Wickets 11 18 Bowling average 31.36 23.38 5 wickets in innings 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 Best bowling 4/29 3/23 Catches/stumpings 3/– 3/–
Medal record Representing  Bangladesh Women's Cricket Asian Games 2022 Hangzhou Team
Source: CricketArchive, 20 March 2024

Early life

She was born in Nilphamari District of Bangladesh and she lives in Saidpur, a small town in the Nilphamari district.^[3] Her father is a farmer. Her older brother encouraged her to play cricket. Her favorite player is Hardik Pandya.^[4] In the period of COVID-19 lockdown she handed over her first earnings from cricket in Cox's Bazaar training camp of US$ 412.^[3] Marufa went on to attend the country's biggest sports institution: Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) where she learnt some of the skills she showed off on the world's biggest stage.^[4]

International career

In November 2022, Marufa was earned maiden call-up for national team of Bangladesh to ODI and T20I squad for the series against New Zealand.^[5][6] She made her Twenty20 International (T20I) debut against New Zealand in the same series on 4 December 2022.^[7] She made her One Day International (ODI) debut against New Zealand on 11 December 2024.^[8]

In December 2022, she was selected to Bangladesh women's under-19 cricket team for the 2023 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup.^[9][10][11] She took 8 wickets from that tournament with best bowling figure 2/16 in 4 overs against United Arab Emirates women's under-19 cricket team.

In January 2023 she was named in Bangladesh's T20I squad for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.^[12][13] She took 4 wickets in that tournament with best bowling figure 3/23 in 4 overs against Sri Lanka.

On 16 July 2023, she took 4 wickets of 29 runs in her 7 overs in the first ODI again India,^[14] helping Bangladesh to first win against India in ODIs by 40 runs,^[15] and she got Player of the Match award.^[16]

In August 2023, she was selected to the national team for the 2022 Asian Games.^[17] She was the part of Bronze medal winning team of Bangladesh in that tournament.^[18][19]

In January 2024, Marufa was nominated for ESPNcricinfo Awards 2023 Women's ODI bowling for her maiden four-wicket haul against India,^[20] and won that award in the following month.^[21]

She was named in the Bangladesh squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.^[22]

Akter was part of the Bangladesh squad for the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan in April 2025.^[23]