Marufa Akter’s rise: Bangladesh’s pace gemetching her name in international cricket

Marufa Akter, Bangladesh (PC: ICC)

For a Bangladesh women’s team that has traditionally depended heavily on spin, Marufa Akter offers something different. The right-armer brings pace, swing and the ability to strike early with the new ball, while her growing variations have also made her a more complete bowler.

Her development has been particularly noticeable in recent years. Marufa has worked on her death bowling with coaches such as Robiul Islam, adding yorkers, slower balls and off-cutters to her natural ability to move the ball. The aim has been to make her effective not just in the powerplay but also in the crucial closing overs.

Her natural swing, however, remains her biggest weapon. With a smooth run-up and a whippy action, Marufa can generate sharp movement with the new ball, particularly into right-handed batters. That ability makes her an important powerplay option for Bangladesh and gives the team a rare fast-bowling threat in conditions where their spinners may not dominate.

Her numbers during the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup reflected that improvement. In four matches, Marufa picked up eight wickets at an average of 9.50 and an economy rate of 5.06, with her best figures of 3/21 coming against Sri Lanka.

One of her most impressive spells came against the UAE. Marufa needed only four deliveries to remove UAE captain Esha Oza, producing an inswinger that beat the batter. She then dismissed Samaira Dharnidharka with a cross-seam delivery that took the outside edge through to the wicketkeeper.

She finished her opening spell with three overs for just six runs, leaving the UAE at 15/2 at the end of the powerplay. When she returned in the ninth over, Marufa completed an impressive spell of 4-0-9-2. It was a perfect example of what makes her valuable and that is early movement, different types of deliveries and the control to keep the pressure on.

Her rise has also been reflected in the ICC rankings. During the September 2026 Women’s Asia Cup, Marufa climbed 19 places to a career-best 18th position in the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings, with a rating of 622. She also became the highest-ranked Bangladeshi bowler in the format.

The progress was not limited to the Asia Cup. At the 2026 T20 Women’s World Cup, Marufa played five matches and took five wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 6.58. While Bangladesh’s spin attack continued to be one of their biggest strengths, Marufa’s pace gave them another dimension.

Sathira Jakir Jesy, speaking exclusively to RevSportz, highlighted exactly why Marufa could become particularly important in English conditions.

“Marufa is a gem for Bangladesh cricket,” Jesy said. “I have played with her and faced her bowling. Even when she started, everyone knew she had something special.”

According to Jesy, the biggest change in Marufa has come through her fitness and mentality. The pacer has become fitter and, more importantly, mentally stronger.

“She is fitter now and mentally very tough,”she said. “Even if the opposition needs only a few runs, she keeps fighting till the last ball. That attitude is very rare.”

That mental toughness could be especially important for Bangladesh. Fast bowlers often have to operate under pressure, particularly when they are defending small totals or bowling at the death. Marufa’s willingness to keep attacking until the final delivery has become an important part of her game.

“English conditions can help her even more because she can move the ball,” Jesy added.

For Bangladesh, that could be a significant advantage. Their traditional strength has been spin, but Marufa gives them the pace factor and is someone capable of making an impact with the new ball, adapting with variations later in the innings and troubling batters when the conditions offer movement.

The numbers are improving, her ranking is rising and her skill set is expanding. More importantly, Marufa is developing the mindset to match her talent and is emerging as one of Bangladesh’s most important match-winning options.

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