David v Goliath as Tigresses face Aussies

Bangladesh got off to a winning start at the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup but against Sophie Molineux’s Australia on Wednesday, the Tigresses are expected to face their toughest test yet.

The sheer gulf in numbers is clearly apparent – the women in red and green have only won four matches in the history of the T20 World Cup while the Aussies are record six-time champions.

Like Bangladesh, Australia were also victorious in their opener against South Africa.

Ahead of the clash, the Tigresses’ player of the match against the Netherlands, Juairiya Ferdous refused to be cowed by the formidable task facing them, and expressed confidence. 

“Australia are a very strong team, so it will be a big challenge for us to perform well and try to win. Our target will definitely be to win the match,” said Juairiya prior to the game.

Juairiya starred in Bangladesh’s six-wicket win over the Dutch, hammering a 33-ball 50, featuring seven fours and a couple of sixes, as the Tigresses reached their destination with five balls to spare.

The 20-year old right-handed batter said that she will try to maintain the same attacking intent against the mighty Aussies.

“Personally, I feel that the approach I had (against the Netherlands) was good, especially the intent to score more runs off fewer balls. Against Australia, I will try to maintain the same approach. My focus will be on making the best use of the powerplay and playing a big innings,” she noted.

“It feels really special because I have always watched them (Australia) on television, but I had never seen them in person before. Now I am going to play my first match against them, which is a great feeling and a very exciting opportunity,” she concluded.