I want to become ‘Lady Bumrah’: Who is Puja Mahato, the rising cricket star aiming to rule the game?

Who is Puja Mahato: When it comes to the best bowler in the world, the name of Jasprit Bumrah automatically comes to mind. Everyone wants to bowl like Bumrah and become a star bowler like him.

However, this path is not as easy as it seems. But a female player from Nepal has decided to walk on this path.

Nepal’s Puja Mahato wants to become “Lady Bumrah”

The performance of Nepal captain Puja Mahato in the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2025 has become an inspiration for everyone. The 18-year-old player not only led her team to victory by showing brilliant performance with bat and ball but also took a strong step towards establishing herself as ‘Lady Bumrah’.

Mahato, who considers Jasprit Bumrah as her idol, won the ‘Player of the Match’ title against Malaysia in the 4th place play-off.

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Puja Mahato Shines in ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup

Mahato decided to bowl first and took a wicket on the second ball of the match. She took two wickets in her first spell and a total of four wickets in the entire match, in which she gave only 9 runs. With this performance, she became the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 9 wickets.

Chasing the target of 46 runs, Nepal had a bad start and the team had lost three wickets for 22. But Mahato played an unbeaten innings of 23* runs and led the team to a seven-wicket win. Her sensible and restrained innings pulled the team out of a difficult situation.

Mahato also took Nepal to the World Cup for the first time in the qualifying round by scoring 130* runs and taking 5 wickets against Kuwait. She proved with her performance in the tournament that she is not only a great captain but also the backbone of the team, like Jasprit Bumrah is for Team India.

Looking Ahead to 2027

This World Cup may have ended for Mahato and her team, but in 2027, Nepal will have another big chance to prove itself. The ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2027 will be held in Nepal.

“As a captain, I always want to lead from the front. I believe that I should always contribute something to my team and country. When I was bowling, my goal was to take wickets quickly.

While batting, I thought that I had to stand up for my team. My bowling idol is Bumrah, I want to become ‘Lady Bumrah’. So I always play with my full strength. As a captain, I always thought that I had to contribute to the team.”