Gaborone, April 9 – Brazil's Laura Cardoso produced a historic bowling performance, rewriting the record books in T20I cricket during the 2026 BCA Kalahari Women's T20I Tournament. She registered the best figures ever in the format, taking 9/4 against Lesotho in just three overs, becoming the first player, male or female, to take nine wickets in a single innings.
Previously, Sonam Yeshey held the men's T20I record with 8/7 against Myanmar in 2025, while Rohmalia Rohmalia held the women's record with 7/0 against Mongolia in 2024. Cardoso surpassed both with a dominant performance that will be remembered as one of the best in the format's history.
Her remarkable performance began early, with a hat-trick in her second over, setting the tone for Brazil's dominance. She followed this up with four more wickets in her next over, reaching seven scalps, before adding two more in her third over to complete an unprecedented nine-wicket haul. Lesotho's innings ended for just 13 in 6.2 overs, with Marianne Artur taking the only wicket not taken by Cardoso, sealing a crushing 189-run victory for Brazil.
Earlier, Brazil had posted a total of 202, built on solid contributions from Roberta Avery (48 off 35 balls) and Monnike Machado (69 off 41 deliveries).
Brazil have been in dominant form throughout the tournament. In a previous match, they defeated the Zambia Women by 174 runs in a comprehensive display. Cardoso led from the front with a quick-fire half-century, while Laura Agatha scored 62 as the pair stitched together a crucial 105-run partnership to guide the side to 200/5.
Zambia's response in that match faltered early and never recovered, as they were bowled out for just 26 in 15.1 overs. Maria Ribeiro starred with a five-wicket haul, while Cardoso contributed with three wickets to dismantle the batting lineup.
With commanding performances in both batting and bowling departments, Brazil have emerged as a formidable force in the tournament.
