Rubya Haider, a Bangladesh women’s cricketer, made her ODI debut on the grand platform and reminisced on her experience at the 2025 Women’s World Cup, where she expressed appreciation for world star batters such as Smriti Mandhana and Alyssa Healy. Bangladesh failed to advance beyond the group stage, ranking seventh on the points table.
Rubya Haider cherished her debut against Pakistan Women, in which she scored a remarkable undefeated half-century of 54 runs.
Reflecting on the competition, the young batter characterised it as a dream come true, stating that seeing players such as Smriti Mandhana has profoundly influenced her career, inspiring her to grow and perform consistently for Bangladesh Women.
“Smriti Mandhana, I watched her batting in the last match. As a lefty, I liked her batting more because she looked cool and calm while batting,” Haider said to The Daily Star.
Haider also expressed her admiration for the Australian skipper, recalling how Healy’s outstanding century against Bangladesh left a lasting impression on her. She admitted that watching such a world-class performance up close was truly inspiring and something she could not stop admiring.
“Alyssa Healy, too, and struck a ton against us. Seeing them, it felt like they could read minds or something, that’s how they play cricket. They have been playing cricket for many years, and experience matters a lot,” said Haider.
Haider accumulated 144 runs in the tournament, finishing as the fourth-highest run-scorer for Bangladesh. She described representing her nation on the grand stage as nothing short of a dream come true.
“It’s a different feeling because the atmosphere there is different. It felt like a dream to me at that time. I got the opportunity to see many good players up close, learn about their skills, their confidence, and knowledge,” Haider concluded.
Despite beginning their campaign with a thrilling victory over Pakistan Women, Bangladesh lost momentum as the tournament progressed, suffering a string of defeats. The setbacks ultimately pushed them down to seventh place, finishing just above Pakistan in the final standings.
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