Jahanara Alam

International career

Jahanara Alam was born on April 1, 1993. She plays for the Bangladesh women's national cricket team. Jahanara is a right-arm medium pace bowler and a right-handed batter. She was part of the team that won a silver medal in cricket against China at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

• March 2008: Jahanara Alam played for the national team during a Hong Kong tour of Bangladesh. She had to decide between cricket and exams. Her father encouraged her to pursue cricket, saying, "You may only have one chance to play for your country, but you will have three chances to pass your exam." She played in all four unofficial 50-over series matches and took a hat-trick in the last match at Mirpur Stadium. This achievement drew attention, and people started calling her "pride of Khulna" and "pride of Bangladesh".

Women's One Day International (WODI)

• Debut: Bangladesh Women vs Ireland Women at Savar (2), November 26, 2011
• Last Match: Sri Lanka Women vs Bangladesh Women at Colombo (SSC), May 04, 2023

Women's T20 International (WT20I)

• Debut: Ireland Women vs Bangladesh Women at Dublin, August 28, 2012
• Last Match: Bangladesh Women vs Ireland Women at Sylhet, December 09, 2024
• June 2018: Jahanara was part of the Bangladesh team that won the 2018 Women’s Asia Cup.
• June 2018: She became the first Bangladesh bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a WT20I against Ireland.
• October 2018: Jahanara played in the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20. She was the joint-leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh, with six wickets in four matches. The ICC named her as the standout player for Bangladesh.
• August 2019: She was named in the squad for the 2019 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier in Scotland.
• November 2019: Jahanara played in the 2019 South Asian Games cricket tournament. Bangladesh won the gold medal by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
• January 2020: She joined Bangladesh's squad for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
• November 2021: Jahanara was part of Bangladesh’s team for the 2021 Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
• January 2022: She was one of three reserve players for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Cricket Qualifier in Malaysia. Later in the month, she was included in the squad for the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
• May 2023: Jahanara was dropped from the national team.
• July 2024: Jahanara returned to the national team and started preparing for the 2024 Asian Women’s Cup. After a year away, she made a strong comeback with a remodeled bowling action. During the Dhaka Premier League, she took 25 wickets and finished as the leading wicket-taker. The new action helped her bowl faster, which contributed to her recent success. She thanked coach Mohammad Salahuddin for his help in her return to the team. Jahanara was named in Bangladesh’s squad for the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Leagues Participation

Jahanara Alam has not participated in any major leagues.

Domestic career

Jahanara Alam’s interest in cricket began in 2007 when Sheikh Salahuddin, a coach from the Khulna Division men's team, noticed her. Alam wasn’t initially a cricket fan and didn’t know much about the game. However, after hearing about Bangladesh’s plan to create a women’s cricket team, she decided to try it out.

Her family supported her, especially her father, who told her to return home before evening prayers and to keep the family’s honor intact. Her grandmother also played a big role, taking her to matches. Alam initially struggled during trials, but after a month of training, she became a fast bowler. She went on to take 13 wickets in a seven-team tournament, which led to her selection for the national camp.

Alam faced criticism from her community, as some thought it was inappropriate for a girl to play cricket. Her father defended her decision and supported her passion. Alam didn’t have a role model in her first years, but later, her coach showed her videos of Brett Lee, and she decided to follow Lee’s bowling action. Mashrafe Mortaza became her cricket idol.

Alam started her domestic career in 2008 with the Khulna women’s team and then moved to Sylhet in 2009. She has been a key player for the Bangladesh women’s team and has earned many accolades. Known for her speed and competitive nature, she has represented the national team over 100 times.

Records and achievements

Jahanara Alam has reached many significant milestones in her cricket career, both in domestic and international tournaments. Her hard work and dedication have helped her achieve numerous records and recognitions.

• 2010 Asian Games: Won a silver medal with the Bangladesh women’s cricket team after playing against China.
• 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup: Selected to play for Bangladesh.
• 2018: Chosen for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 team for her outstanding performance.
• January 2022: Named as one of the three substitutes for Bangladesh’s squad at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Cricket Qualifier in Malaysia.

Personal life

Jahanara Alam leads a balanced life off the field while staying focused on her cricket career. Here is some information about her personal life.

Finance

Jahanara Alam's net worth is $1 million as of June 2024.

Family

She was born and raised in Khulna and went to Pioneer Girls High School. By 2007, she was already playing handball and volleyball for her school.

Cars and House

Jahanara Alam lives in Khulna, Bangladesh. There are no public details available about her cars.

Scandals

Jahanara was excluded from the national team in May 2023. However, by July 2024, she made a return and began preparing for the 2024 Asian Women's Cup.

Fans

In 2020, after a match against India, Jahanara Alam gained popularity on social media for wearing makeup, especially eye makeup. She has 122k followers on Instagram.