UAE's Historic Move in Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier Against Qatar

UAE's Unprecedented Strategy in T20 Qualifier

In a remarkable turn of events during the Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took an extraordinary step against Qatar by having all 11 players retire out. This unprecedented occurrence unfolded at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, marking the first time in cricket history that an entire team has opted for a retired out status.

The UAE team, batting first, made a strong start thanks to openers Tirtha Satish and captain Esha Oja. They formed a formidable partnership, scoring 192 runs over 16 overs, putting pressure on the Qatari bowlers. However, sensing impending rain, the UAE decided to retire all players out.

In T20 internationals, the rule for declaring an innings does not apply, so each batter donned their pads and ran towards the crease, only to retire out upon reaching the field. Tirtha scored 74 runs off 42 balls, hitting 11 fours, while Esha Oja delivered an impressive performance with 133 runs off 55 balls, including 5 sixes and 14 fours. The UAE finished their innings at 192 runs without losing a wicket in 16 overs.

Qatar was set a target of 193 runs but was bowled out for just 29 runs in 11.1 overs, resulting in a 163-run victory for the UAE. Mitchell Botha was the standout bowler for the UAE, claiming 3 wickets, while KT Thompson took 2. Esha Oja, who scored a century, was named Player of the Match.