Sofya T20I International Women's Cricket Tournament

The Türkiye Women’s Cricket National Team participated in the Sofia T20I International Women’s Cricket Tournament, held in July 2025 in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, and approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC), marking its first-ever international competition experience. Throughout the tournament, the star-and-crescent team drew attention with its performance, secured the championship undefeated, and signed a historic first in Türkiye’s cricket history.

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The event took place in the summer of 2025 with the participation of women’s cricket national teams active in Europe. The tournament was officially listed on the International Cricket Council’s calendar and played under ICC’s T20I (Twenty20 International) status, ensuring the international validity of all matches.

Through this tournament, the Türkiye Women’s Cricket National Team made its debut on the international stage and completed the competition at the top of the standings with victories in all matches.

The tournament held in Sofia was the first international experience for the Türkiye Women’s Cricket National Team. It was officially recognized by the International Cricket Council and organized under the coordination of the Türkiye Rugby Federation. Participation in and winning the tournament are regarded as the beginning of a new era in the development of Turkish cricket.

Following the tournament, Nahit Şahin, President of the Türkiye Rugby Federation, emphasized that this achievement marked a turning point for Turkish cricket. According to Şahin, the sport of cricket, which has been played in Türkiye for over a decade, was rapidly organized under the federation’s umbrella, enabling international success. Şahin highlighted the competitive spirit of the female athletes and the contributions of the technical staff, stating that this collective success serves as an important example in the history of Turkish sports.

The performance displayed by the national team throughout the tournament demonstrated mastery over cricket’s fast-paced and strategic nature. Particularly, the performances of young players and the accurate planning of the technical staff ensured the team’s dominance in every match. A disciplined playing structure, combined with tactical awareness in every game, resulted in victories across all encounters.

The tournament was structured as a single-round format comprising a group stage and a final match. Türkiye was placed in the same group as Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece.

• Türkiye 114 – 85 Bulgaria

In the opening match against host nation Bulgaria, the national team started the tournament with a victory by creating a decisive advantage through disciplined defense and effective batting.

• Türkiye 137 – 92 Serbia

In the second group match against Serbia, Türkiye established clear dominance, largely due to high-scoring contributions from the middle-order batters.

• Türkiye 121 – 104 Greece

In the final group match against Greece, the national team maintained control of the game’s tempo in a closely contested match, securing top position in the group.

With three wins, the Türkiye Women’s Cricket National Team completed the group stage undefeated and advanced directly to the final.

• Türkiye 129 – 118 Greece

In the final, Türkiye faced Greece again, as they had in the group stage. Türkiye, batting first, scored 129 runs. In response, Greece’s innings began, but due to Türkiye’s effective bowling performance, they were restricted to 118 runs. Thus, the star-and-crescent team won the tournament by an 11-run margin.

The players who represented the Türkiye Women’s Cricket National Team in the Sofia T20I International Tournament are listed below:

• Ayşegül Dinç
• Yudum Karakoç
• Eylül Bal
• Melike Gülen
• Meryem Damar
• Medine Karakuş
• Rabia Demirci
• Gülbike Güven
• Ayfer Arslan
• Tuğba Güner
• Reyhan Yürekli