‘They could read minds’ – Rubya Haider praises Smriti Mandhana and Alyssa Healy after ODI World Cup campaign

Rubya Haider. (Photo Source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Bangladesh Women’s cricketer Rubya Haider made her ODI debut on the grand stage and reflected on her experience at the 2025 Women’s World Cup, where she expressed her admiration for global star batters like Smriti Mandhana and Alyssa Healy. Bangladesh bowed out of the tournament in the group stage, finishing seventh on the points table.

Haider cherished her debut moment against Pakistan Women, where she produced an impressive unbeaten half-century, scoring 54 runs in her maiden appearance. Reflecting on the tournament, the young batter described it as a dream come true and shared how watching players like Smriti Mandhana has greatly inspired her journey, motivating her to improve 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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