'Please keep us all in your prayers' - Marufa Akter's plea to fans ahead of Women's Asia Cup 2026 semi-final vs India

Marufa's Plea as Tigresses Eye India Upset in Asia Cup Semifinal

Bangladesh's pace spearhead Marufa Akter has dropped an emotional ask to the support base ahead of Thursday's Women's Asia Cup 2026 semifinal vs India (Sep 10, Dubai Intl Cricket Stadium). She's the standout bwl of the tournament so far—7 wickets across 3 group-stage innings, joint-third best in the competition and the most for Bangladesh.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Marufa's been India's leading pace option with an Econ of just 3.27, landing the early strike in all three of her spells. She removed Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapathuthu for a duck and has been the consistent threat with the new ball. Her ask was raw in that BCB video: "Please keep us all in your prayers so we finish tomorrow's match on a high note."

How They Got Here

Bangladesh clawed into the semis by dumping UAE by 34 runs on Sep 8, with Sharmin Akter top-scoring 38 off 31 as the team scraped past 100. A earlier win over Sri Lanka saw Sobhana Mostary chip in 34.

The India Factor

Here's the data point that should give Bangladesh fans pause: the Tigresses haven't beat India in a T20I since the 2018 Asia Cup final. India have won their last 8 T20I meetings. They rolled into the knockouts on three straight—Pakistan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, China—and Shafali Verma's already signalling full confidence.

Marufa's early-ball aggression will be central to Bangladesh's gameplan. If she fires again, this is a matchup they can exploit. If not, the numbers say India runs away with it.

Source: Crictracker