In a historic moment for Bangladesh women’s cricket, Fargana Hoque achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first Bangladeshi woman cricketer to score a century in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The memorable innings took place during the third and final ODI against India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Fargana’s impressive knock of 107 runs off 160 deliveries played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s total of 225 for four. This score marked the Tigresses’ second-highest total in ODIs, surpassed only by their 234 for seven against Pakistan in Hamilton the previous year.
The historic moment arrived on the last delivery of the 48th over, with Fargana driving a delivery from Shafali Verma to the boundary through the covers, completing her century in 156 deliveries. Her innings was filled with seven boundaries, setting a new record for the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi woman in ODIs. The previous record was held by Salma Khatun’s unbeaten 75 off 92 balls against India in Ahmedabad in 2013.
Bangladesh’s batting performance began on a strong note as Fargana and Shamima Sultana built a solid 93-run opening partnership – the second-best for Bangladesh in the ODI format, behind a 113-run stand between Sharmin Akhter and Shukhtara Rahman against Ireland in 2011. Shamima contributed a valuable 52 runs off 78 balls before being dismissed by Sneh Rana in the 27th over, falling just one run short of her career-best ODI score.
Sneh Rana proved to be India’s standout bowler, finishing with figures of two for 45 in her 10 overs.
Despite Fargana’s heroic performance, her innings concluded on the final delivery of the game when she was run-out. Nevertheless, her extraordinary achievement in this match will undoubtedly be remembered in Bangladesh cricket history.
The three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and India ended in a 1-1 draw, setting the stage for Bangladesh to potentially secure their first-ever ODI series victory over India. The performance of Fargana Hoque and her teammates has brought pride and excitement to the nation, further advancing women’s cricket in Bangladesh.
