UAE is emerging in women's cricket with a massive influx of youngsters representing the senior team. With such a high number of teens having already represented the senior side, they'd be looking to make it count in the U-19 tournament that features most of those players.
FIXTURES:
UAE is placed in Group D along with India, Scotland, & South Africa.
SQUAD:
The UAE squad features a total of 9 players who have played for the senior team and combine for a total of 173 caps.
RECENT FORM:
The United Arab Emirates qualified for the inaugural Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup by winning the Asian Qualifier hosted by Malaysia in June 2022. The Qualifier was in a round-robin league format and the team that eventually topped the chart among the 6 participating teams – UAE, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia, and Qatar qualified for the WC. UAE and Thailand were undefeated going into their final round-robin game and UAE eventually defeated Thailand by six wickets to qualify for the World Cup. This was the 1st time a UAE women’s side qualified for a World Cup.
Recently, UAE U-19 team played a 5-match Youth T20 series against USA U-19 on their home turf. It was a highly-competitive series where USA eventually won by a 3-2 margin.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Theertha Satish - The UAE skipper holds the aces for her team's chances. She leads, keeps, & opens the innings for her team. The left-handed batter has been one of the top batters in world cricket in the T20Is. In the 33 games that she has played, she has scored 823 runs at a high average of 35.8 and SR of 110. This average currently stands as the 9th highest average in T20I cricket and it's a pretty big statement by someone so young. She was on fire in UAE's warm-up game against USA when she scored 32 (19) with 4x4s and 1x6.
Vaishnave Mahesh - Vaishnave Mahesh became the 6th youngest player to play a T20I when she played against China at the age of just 12 years. By the age of 16, the wrist spinner has played 34 T20Is and has had an unforgettable impact. She has picked 30 wickets at an average of just 13.7. While she hasn't enjoyed much success in the warm-ups, you can never discount a wrist spinner's impact in T20 cricket.
Samaira Dharnidharka - The young right-arm pacer is going to be one of the most exciting pacers to watch in this competition. That's because she is quick for the U-19 cricket & she gets it to shape it back into the right-handers very accurately. Samaira has already attracted attention with what she did in the warm-up game against USA. In the last over of the innings, she took 4 wickets in the over that included a hat-trick.
Mahika Gaur - The tall left-arm pacer hasn't had a consistent run, but she brings variety to this side. Mahika was picked by Thunder in the England regional competition and then by the equivalent city franchise in Manchester Originals in the Hundred. While she did not get any games in the Hundred, she was impressive for the Thunder and new ball wickets became a key contributor for her team. She bowls it full and attacks the stumps & UAE will look to exploit this option which could be the most effective one in the South African conditions.
PREDICTIONS:
UAE stands out from most of the other teams with players having international experience and 173 caps to boast of. This experience at the highest level is all set to come in handy when they face the likes of Scotland & South Africa. It wouldn't come as a surprise if they are able to get at least one win in the group stage.