In the last Women’s World Cup that India had hosted, back in 2013, Bangladesh had not even qualified. And West Indies finished ahead of India. Only twelve years down the line, Bangladesh are competing at the biggest stage of women’s cricket. And West Indies have not qualified.
Having read this, one would assume that women’s cricket has undergone a massive upheaval in Bangladesh. It has not. The domestic structure allows only 14 matches in an entire season, and ahead of the World Cup, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) could not organise any series against top international sides. With no other avenues open, the women’s team had to play against the Under-15 men’s team.
Despite that, the Bangladeshi women have punched above their weight in the ongoing 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. The points table does very little to justify their might, for, with only a solitary win in seven games, Bangladesh are eighth in the standings.
How Young Rabeya Switched From Football To Cricket
Yet, it has to be mentioned that they could have been fighting for a quarter-final place, had it not been for agonisingly narrow defeats to England, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Among the major reasons behind the Tigresses surprising many recognised teams is leg-spinner Rabeya Khan.
With seven wickets in six matches, she is currently the leading wicket-taker of her team. And only nine years ago, she was unaware of the existence of a ‘thing’ — as she terms it — called women’s cricket.
Speaking exclusively to The Quint, she says:
I have always loved cricket. Initially, I used to play cricket with my four cousin brothers and kids from the neighbourhood, and honestly, I was better than a lot of the boys. But back then, I was not aware that girls also play cricket. Our school had a women's football team, so I wanted to be a professional footballer. I was a good footballer and made it to the BKSP (Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan). But while I was there, I saw girls of my age playing cricket, and realised that a thing called women's cricket exists. That was when I told my father that I want to be a cricketer.Rabeya Khan
As luck would have it, BKSP soon organised a trial in her district.
As luck would have it, BKSP soon organised a trial in her district. BKSP selectors had come to my district, Barishal, for a trial. I had gone there and tried my luck at fast bowling. I didn't know much at that stage, but I was an enormous Mashrafe Bin Mortaza fangirl and wanted to emulate my idol. I excelled in the trials, and they selected me. Although, since I was short at the time, I was told that I won't be able to shine as a fast bowler and will have to try spin instead.Rabeya Khan
A Father's Humiliation
In Bangladesh, as is the case in almost every nation from the subcontinent, dreaming of becoming a cricketer for a girl is an act of defiance in itself. For Rabeya, it certainly was. Fortunately, her father, Emdadul Hoque Khan, a farmer, never let the humiliation affect her.
I have always had my father's support, but he was criticised a lot, to the point that our local community almost ostracised him. My neighbours would humiliate him daily by saying he is ruining my life. They would say things like 'Have you lost all shame? Will a girl now wear shirts and trousers like boys? You have let the entire village down by letting your girl play cricket.' The irony is that they were all cricket fans. As you know, Bangladesh has a lot of cricket fans. But unfortunately, their support was restricted to men's cricket. A girl playing cricket was a huge no-no.Rabeya Khan
The Life-Altering Event
At BKSP, she took very little time to rise through the ranks, taking 15 wickets in seven matches in her first tournament as a leg-spinner. And then, she plateaued. Until a life-altering event.
Honestly, I was content with my life. I was happy at BKSP, I had all of my needs sorted, and I didn't ask for anything more. But then one day, I saw the likes of Nahida and Sobhana, who are current teammates, returning on flights from Sri Lanka. I enquired 'Where are they coming from?' I was told that they are coming from a tour, and if I try hard, I can be on tours as well. I have never mentioned this to anyone, not even to Nahida and Sobhana, but that was when I decided that I have to play for the national team. I took my diary out and wrote: 'I will play for Bangladesh within a year.' In only five months, I made my debut.Rabeya Khan
Having already laid a foundation at this year’s World Cup, Bangladesh would ideally want to use it as a stepping stone towards eminence, and build on it. But Rabeya knows there are flaws in the system — the most glaring of it being psychological.
There are a lot of flaws that need fixing. The first fixing job has to be at the psychological level. In our society, even in 2025, people feel that sports should be left to men, and women should only do household chores. If Bangladesh has to progress in women's sports, that deep-rooted societal mindset has to change.Rabeya Khan
The Many Flaws In Bangladesh's Women's Cricket
She highlights flaws in the domestic structure of women’s cricket.
Our domestic structure needs a major overhaul too. We play just two tournaments in a season, which is 14 matches in total. Compare that to India's domestic structure, and you will find the Indian cricketers playing a lot more than we do. How are we expecting to compete against India with such a structure?Rabeya Khan
That, though, is not the end of it, as the financial structure is flawed as well.
The financial structure needs to improve as well, so that you can convince girls to play cricket. Currently, we get around only 20-30% of what our male cricketers earn. That too, is after the increment that happened last year. I would like to thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for looking into our financial state and increasing our salaries. We also get the same daily allowance in tours as our male counterparts. But I believe more can be done. Like how the Indian female players now get the same match fee as the male players.Rabeya Khan
The Dreamer Will Keep Dreaming
Despite the multi-faceted problems, most of those being deep-rooted, Rabeya hopes Bangladesh will once be regarded as the frontrunners in women’s cricket, as opposed to also-rans. For, she has always been a dreamer.
We might not have won matches, and listen, we all know that in sports, winning is the only thing that matters. Let's not kid ourselves by saying playing well matters more than wins. But having said that, we can take a lot of heart from how we have presented ourselves. My only hope is that in the coming years, Bangladesh will be hailed as a really competitive team in women's cricket.Rabeya Khan
At only 20, she is proving to be an inspiration for many young girls in Bangladesh. The more pressing question now is — will their parents let them play cricket?