'All the young cricketers will take this game forward' - Nigar Sultana Joty excited for home T20 World Cup

The Bangladesh women's cricket team captain Nigar Sultana Joty is excited at the prospect of her team hosting the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 at home. Joty recently revealed that playing a World Cup in front of passionate home crowds is a huge pride for her young side.

This will be the second instance Bangladesh will be hosting the premier women's T20 tournament, having previously done so in 2014. That edition held special memories for Joty and the team as it marked Bangladesh's first-ever win in a World Cup match. They defeated Sri Lanka in an exciting last-over finish.

“That was the year in which we won our first game in World Cups, so it was very special, Though I was not in the team, I was very young. (But) that was a great memory for the team,” she told ICC.

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It is a huge moment for the team: Nigar Sultana Joty

Talking about the excitement of playing in front of the home crowd, Joty said, “It is a huge moment for the team, It’s really incredible for the team members because it is a proud moment to play a World Cup at home. It’s going to be a wonderful experience for the young players on the team. I hope a lot of people will come. We are here today because of the love and support from Bangladeshi people."

Since that moment, the Bangladesh women's team has continued making strides, notching some impressive results of late against higher-ranked teams like Pakistan and India. Hosting the World Cup provides another opportunity to popularize women's cricket in the country.

“I think it has started from today. Because there is a lot of media coverage, and when we play in front of so many people, the crowd will come. And all the young cricketers will take this game forward. This is what I wish for," she further added.

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Bangladesh finds itself in Group B alongside powerhouses South Africa, England, West Indies, and Associate nation Scotland. While all the matches are crucial, Joty has a special eye on the clash with the star-studded West Indies.

“We are not able to play against them so much. So looking forward to that. They’ve a lot of good T20 batters, so looking forward to that,” the 26-year-old concluded.