Who is Laura Cardoso? And more importantly, why am I reading about her from multiple outlets that cover T20 cricket? And what’s her connection to Virat Kohli?
Well, let me tell you.
Similar to other sports that feature international competitions (like MLB and Baseball, & the NHL and hockey), cricket can have very lopsided outcomes. One such outcome happened in a recent women’s international T20 cricket match between Brazil and Lesotho, in large part due to Cardoso’s nine-wicket spell.
Here is everything you need to know about Cardoso’s historic record and her connection to Kohli.
Laura Cardoso Achieves Men’s & Women’s T20 Cricket World Record
Yes, you read that correctly, a nine-wicket haul for Cardoso.
In this match between Brazil and Lesotho, Brazil hit the bats first. Wicketkeeper Monnike Machado did most of the heavy lifting with her impressive 69-run knock off 41 deliveries. Machado hit seven boundaries in her time on the pitch.
By the time Brazil had finished their innings, they were up 202 runs. And that’s when Cardoso exploded.
Cardoso, a fast bowler, began her spell in the second over. She collected a hat-trick of wickets with her fourth, fifth, and sixth deliveries. And she was just getting warmed up.
She finished the match with nine wickets and two maiden overs with only four runs against. Cardoso’s phenomenal 9/4 figure was achieved in only three overs. Brazil bowled out Lesotho in 6.2 overs, defeating them by 189 runs.
With her astronomical effort, Cardoso was named Player of the Match.
Cardoso Now Owns the Best T20 Cricket Bowling Figures
Prior to Cardoso’s spell against Lesotho, the best international cricket bowling figures belonged to Sonam Yeshey. The Bhutan bowler recorded an 8/7 figure against Myanmar during a Men’s T20I in 2025.
Cardoso Greatly Admires Virat Kohli
Not only is Cardoso a great cricketer, but she is also a big fan of one of the world’s greatest cricketers, Virat Kohli.
In March of 2023, she finally got to meet her idol. They posed for a picture together at an event, alongside Roberta Moretti.
She posted the image to her Instagram profile, alongside the caption “I’ve always admired the way you play, but I never imagined that one day I’d be able to find him…What a day!!!”
Kohli has played 269 matches in the IPL. In those matches, he has recorded 8758 runs, which include eight centuries, 64 50s, 778 fours, and 297 sixes.
Laura Cardoso Has a Bright Cricket Career Ahead of Her
Perhaps the most impressive thing about her new milestone is just how young she is. Cardoso is only 21-years-old.
Despite her young age, Cardoso made her T20I debut for Brazil in October 2021. She was 16 at the time. She threw two overs, recording her first wicket while surrendering only six runs. Additionally, she finished the match with a 3.00 Economy.
A match was scheduled for April 9th between the Brazilian women and the Botswana women. However, this match has been delayed. If the match is abandoned, the next time fans can watch Cardoso in action will be on April 10th. This is the next day of action for the Kalahari Women’s T20I tournament, taking place at the Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1 in Gaborone.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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