Since it wasn't a first-class game but a T20I, United Arab Emirates could not declare, and hence chose the retiring route instead with rain on the anvil
In a rather remarkable and unusual decision, the United Arab Emirates women's cricket team retired all 10 batters out en route a thumping 163-run win over Qatar in match 6 of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025 at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok on Saturday, May 10.
Having won the toss and opted to bat first, UAE openers Esha Oza (also the captain) and Theertha Satish together amassed 192 runs in 16 overs. Oza smashed 113 off 55 balls and Satish 74 off 42 to take the team to a commanding position.
However, with a rain threat looming large, a no result became a distinct likelihood and UAE took the unique call of padding up all their batters and retiring them out. A key point to be noted here is that since it wasn't a first-class game but a T20I, Oza's side could not declare, and hence chose the retiring route instead.
The arcane tactical move worked beautifully, as UAE bundled Qatar out for a paltry 29 in 11.1 overs, not only finding enough time to force a win but also claiming a huge net run rate boost in the process. For Qatar, opener Rizpha Bano Emmanuel top-scored with 20 but only two other batters could open their accounts. UAE left-arm spinner Michelle Botha finished with figures of 3 for 11.
The bizarre yet effective decision led to some records being broken too. For the first time in international cricket, a team retired out more than two batters in their innings. Further, with eight ducks in the UAE innings, the match tally went to 15, making it the most number of ducks in a women's T20I by far. The previous highest was nine.
Meanwhile, skipper Oza was named the Player of the Match for her quickfire century. This was UAE's second consecutive victory, and they now have four points from two games, while for Qatar it was their campaign opener.