International career
Nigar Sultana Joty, born on August 1, 1997, in Bangladesh, is the captain of the national women’s cricket team in both WODI and WT20I formats. She is a right-handed middle-order batter and wicketkeeper who grew into one of the most influential leaders in Bangladesh women’s cricket.
- 2015: Made her international debut on September 30 in a T20I against Pakistan and her ODI debut on October 6, also against Pakistan in Karachi.
- 2018: Played a central role in Bangladesh’s historic victory at the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Malaysia. In the final against India, she scored 27 runs off 24 balls and helped her team win their first international title. Later in the year, she took part in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier and the main tournament in the West Indies.
- 2019: Represented Bangladesh in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Scotland and later scored an unbeaten 113 off 65 balls against the Maldives at the South Asian Games in Pokhara. The innings stood among the highest T20 scores by a Bangladeshi woman. Bangladesh won the gold medal after defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
- 2020: Played in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia and ended as Bangladesh’s top run-scorer with 114 runs from four matches. Her composure and leadership on the field impressed selectors, and on November 4, 2021, she was appointed captain of the ODI side ahead of the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
- 2021: Took charge as captain across both formats.
- 2022: Led Bangladesh in the Commonwealth Games Qualifier in Malaysia and later captained the side at their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Despite the team’s lack of experience, her leadership helped them stay competitive. In December, she again led the team on tour in New Zealand and finished as top scorer in the ODI series with 92 runs.
- 2023: Continued her captaincy during bilateral and regional series.
- 2024: Reached a significant milestone by leading Bangladesh in a home series against Australia in both ODI and T20I formats. On October 3, during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, she played her 100th T20I match and became the first Bangladeshi woman to achieve that mark. She scored 104 runs in the tournament and completed seven dismissals, the highest by any wicketkeeper in the event. Her performance earned her a place in the ICC “Team of the Tournament”.
- 2025: Continued as captain throughout the year. In April, she led Bangladesh in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan and guided the team to qualification for the main tournament. Later, she captained Bangladesh in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka. Under her leadership, Bangladesh recorded their highest-ever ODI total against Australia with 198 runs on October 16.
By 2025, Nigar Sultana Joty had played more than 100 T20Is and many ODIs. She served as both a dependable middle-order batter and a sharp wicketkeeper. Her unbeaten 113 against the Maldives in 2019, her 100th T20I match in 2024, and her inclusion in the ICC Team of the Tournament the same year stand among her most notable achievements.
Leagues Participation
Nigar Sultana Joty has not taken part in any overseas franchise or league competitions.
Domestic career
Nigar Sultana Joty began her domestic cricket journey with Mymensingh Division Women, where she played in both List A and Twenty20 formats from 2017 onward.
She later joined the zonal structure and represented the West Zone Women in the 2021–22 season.
In 2022, she joined Barisal Division Women for the domestic T20 competition and added flexibility to her career by adjusting to different lineups and conditions. During the 2024–25 season, she played for Central Zone Women in the Women’s First-Class format and scored 324 runs in two innings.
Alongside her divisional and zonal work, Joty represented Bangladesh A Women and Bangladesh Women Red under the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
Outside Bangladesh, she joined the Barmy Army Women squad for the 2023 FairBreak Invitational T20 in Hong Kong.
Records and achievements
Nigar Sultana Joty has set numerous records through her steady rise from domestic cricket to international leadership.
- Made her T20I debut for Bangladesh on 30 September 2015 against Pakistan in Bogra.
- Made her ODI debut on 6 October 2015 against Pakistan in Karachi.
- Played as a member of the Bangladesh Women’s team that won the 2018 Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which was the first major international title in the nation’s women’s cricket history.
- Scored a career-best 113 not out against the Maldives on 5 December 2019 at the South Asian Games in Pokhara, one of the highest individual scores by a Bangladeshi woman in T20 cricket.
- Won the gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games held in Nepal.
- Ended as Bangladesh’s top run-scorer at the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, with 114 runs in four matches.
- Appointed captain of the Bangladesh Women’s National Team in November 2021.
- Led Bangladesh in their first-ever Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand (2022).
- Played her 100th T20I on 3 October 2024 against Scotland during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup hosted in Bangladesh and became the first Bangladeshi woman to reach 100 T20I appearances.
- Became the first Bangladeshi woman to cross 2,000 career runs in T20Is.
- Scored 153 not out for Central Zone Women in the 2024–25 Women’s First-Class League, which stood as the first century by a Bangladeshi woman in multi-day domestic cricket.
Personal life
Nigar Sultana Joty is one of the most recognized figures in Bangladesh women’s cricket.
Finance
In June 2023, the Bangladesh Cricket Board raised the women’s central contracts, setting the top category at around BDT 100,000 per month and the lowest tier at around BDT 50,000. A further adjustment came in December 2024, increasing salaries to BDT 120,000 for Grade A and BDT 100,000 for Grade B, with additional match-winning bonuses.
Family
Nigar’s family has played a key role in her journey. Her mother and older brother, Salauddin Samrat, supported her early training years, with her brother often accompanying her to practice sessions. In an interview with Daily Sun, she confirmed that she is engaged and planning to marry, though there are no verified records of a wedding date, spouse name, or children.
Scandals
Nigar Sultana Joty has maintained a clean professional record. She has never been involved in disciplinary actions or personal controversies. During the 2023 series in Dhaka, when Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur criticized umpires, Nigar’s team was part of the match, but she had no involvement in the incident and faced no sanctions.
Fans
Nigar maintains a strong social presence. Her official Facebook page has around 548–549 thousand followers, where she shares updates from the team and photos from tournaments. On Instagram (@ns_joty), she has about 20 thousand followers, posting match highlights and motivational messages.
