NewKerala.com

Esha Oza to Lead UAE in Historic ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy

Esha Oza has been named captain of the UAE women's cricket team for their upcoming tour to Thailand. The team will participate in the inaugural ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2025 starting November 20. They will compete against seven other emerging cricket nations in a T20 tournament format. The UAE squad features 14 players and is supported by head coach Ahmed Raza and his support staff.

Key Points: Esha Oza Leads UAE Women in ICC Emerging Nations Trophy

  • Eight teams compete in single-league T20 format across two Bangkok venues
  • UAE faces PNG in opening match on November 20 at AIT Ground
  • Tournament features emerging nations like Namibia, Netherlands, Scotland and Tanzania
  • Team includes Theertha Satish as wicketkeeper under coach Ahmed Raza
2 min read

Esha Oza to lead UAE in inaugural ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy

All-rounder Esha Oza captains UAE women's cricket team in inaugural ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2025 in Thailand against 7 emerging nations.

"Esha Oza (captain) - UAE Women's Cricket Team Announcement"

Dubai, Nov 13

All-rounder Esha Oza will lead the UAE women’s team in their tour to Thailand for the inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2025.

Eight teams are competing in the T20 tournament, which will be played in a single-league format – each team will play all other teams once. The two venues are the Terdthai Cricket Ground (TCG) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Ground.

Besides the hosts, Thailand and the UAE, the following countries are participating in the tournament: Namibia, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Scotland, Tanzania, and Uganda. The UAE will take on PNG on November 20 in their opening match. They play the Netherlands the following day in their second game of the tournament – both matches will be hosted at the AIT Ground. UAE’s third fixture is against Scotland at the TCG on November 23, and their fourth fixture is against Uganda at the AIT Ground on November 25.

The UAE will take on Tanzania (TCG) on November 26, Thailand (TCG) on November 28, and Namibia (AIT Ground) on November 30.

The team that finishes at the top of the table will be declared tournament winners.

UAE squad for ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy: Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Lavanya Keny, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper), Udeni Kuruppuarachchige and Vaishnave Mahesh.

Support Staff: Subha Venkataraman (team manager), Ahmed Raza (head coach), Hithaishi Basavaraj (strength and conditioning coach) and Merin Saji (physiotherapist).

ICC Emerging Women’s Trophy 2025 UAE matches

Thursday, 20 November – PNG vs UAE, AIT Ground.

Friday, 21 November – Netherlands vs UAE, AIT Ground.

Sunday, 23 November – UAE vs Scotland, Terdthai Cricket Ground.

Tuesday, 25 November – UAE vs Uganda, AIT Ground.

Wednesday, 26 November – Tanzania vs UAE, Terdthai Cricket Ground.

Friday, 28 November – Thailand vs UAE, Terdthai Cricket Ground.

Sunday, 30 November – UAE vs Namibia, AIT Ground.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Interesting to see associate nations getting more opportunities. The tournament format looks good - each team playing everyone ensures fair competition. Hope this helps grow women's cricket in these countries.
S
Sarah B
While I appreciate the initiative, I wish ICC would provide more financial support to these emerging teams. The travel and infrastructure costs must be challenging for nations like Tanzania and PNG. The tournament is great but sustainable funding is crucial.
A
Arjun K
UAE has been improving steadily in cricket. Good to see Indian-origin players like Esha Oza leading the team. The squad looks balanced with good all-rounders. Best of luck for the opening match against PNG! 🏆
M
Michael C
The schedule is quite packed with 7 matches in 11 days! That's intense for any team. Hope the players can maintain their fitness throughout the tournament. The support staff will have their work cut out.
K
Kavya N
So proud to see women's cricket getting this platform! The diversity of teams - from Netherlands to Papua New Guinea - shows cricket is truly becoming global. Hope this inspires more girls to take up the sport across these nations. 💪

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50