Joty and Co ready to ‘dream of something bigger’

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty said her team are "going to dream of something bigger" after defeating Scotland in Sharjah yesterday, having ended a 10-year wait to win a Women's T20 World Cup match.

On the opening day of the 2024 tournament, Bangladesh secured a 16-run win over Scotland after posting what appeared to be a flimsy 119-7 in their 20 overs. Their bowling attack, however, tied the Scots down and restricted them to 103-7.

Joty described ending her team's long wait for a World Cup win as "very emotional" and suggested it would create "momentum" for the women's game at home.

"I would say that a win after 10 years, we all are very emotional because we have been waiting for this victory for a long time," said Joty who was playing in her 100th T20I.

"No matter how good the cricket we play, if it doesn't translate into victory, it means nothing. And I would say for women's cricket, after a long time, I feel like we have done something.

"We have always said about Bangladesh that we have to create momentum and then we will move forward with that momentum.

"Now it seems like we are going to dream of doing something bigger. Similarly, the fans and family who support us in Bangladesh are dreaming that we can do something better than that."

The momentum for women's cricket in Bangladesh would have had a far bigger boost had they been staging the event as planned.

Instead, weeks of widespread political unrest in Bangladesh, which eventually led to the installation of an interim government, saw the tournament switched to the United Arab Emirates, with Bangladesh remaining as nominal hosts.

"Initially it was very heartbreaking because we always bear in mind that we are going to play in front of our home crowd," said Joty.

"But still, the people who came here today, it was brilliant."

After winning the toss and batting first, Sobhana Mostary top-scored with 36 for Bangladesh. Their bowlers then strangled newcomers Scotland in spite of Sarah Bryce's 49 not out from 52 balls. Ritu Moni was named player of the match for her spell of 2-15 from four overs.

As Joty and Co look ahead, the belief that they can build on this momentum is palpable as the Tigresses build on the newfound confidence, aiming towards creating a lasting success on the world stage.