Salma Khatun was born on 1 October 1990 in Khulna, Bangladesh. As a child she played cricket with her cousins, uncle and children from the neighbourhood. She was spotted by Sheikh Salahuddin at a practice session for an inter-district tournament held prior to the formation of the Bangladesh women's team.[5] Her performance in the competition led to her selection for Bangladesh when they first competed at the 2007 Asian Cricket Council Women's Tournament.[5]
In October 2018, she was named as the captain of Bangladesh's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.[13][14] She was the joint-leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in the tournament, with six dismissals in four matches.[15]
In January 2020, she was named as the captain of Bangladesh's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia.[20] She was the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in the tournament, with six dismissals in four matches.[21]