UAE Women's Team Dominates Qatar in T20 World Cup Qualifier

UAE's Unconventional Strategy in T20 World Cup Qualifier

On May 10, during the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2025, the UAE team made headlines by having all ten of their batters retire against Qatar.

The match took place at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, where UAE opted to bat first, as reported by Wisden.

The opening pair, Theertha Satish and captain Esha Oza, started strong, accumulating 45 runs without losing a wicket in the initial six overs. They accelerated their scoring, reaching 90 runs without a loss by the halfway mark of the innings. Oza secured her half-century in the 11th over, with Satish following closely in the 12th.

Esha Oza and Theertha Satish Shine

Oza reached her century in just 51 balls, finishing with an impressive 113 runs, while Satish contributed 74 runs, leading the team to a total of 192 runs without losing any wickets after 16 overs.

In a surprising turn of events, after the duo retired, the remaining UAE players came onto the field in pairs and also retired immediately.

This unusual tactic was necessitated by rain forecasts, prompting the team to exit after amassing a substantial score of 192-0 in just 16 overs. Since declarations are not permitted in T20 matches, each batter quickly padded up, dashed to the crease, and retired upon arrival.

Qatar's Struggles Against UAE's Bowling Attack

UAE set a daunting target of 193 runs for Qatar. Rizpha Emmanuel was the standout performer for Qatar, being the only batter to score in double digits, while the rest fell for single-digit scores.

Qatar was dismissed for a mere 29 runs in 11 overs, with seven of their batters failing to score. Michelle Botha was the star bowler for UAE, claiming three wickets for just 11 runs in her four overs.