Akshdeep Nath's 'Dream Come True' as Ex-IPL Star Leads UAE to Historic Cricket Win

Fourteen years after lifting the Under-19 World Cup with India, Akshdeep Nath has achieved his most significant career milestone in senior international cricket, this time representing the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The 33-year-old batter was instrumental in guiding the UAE to one of their most notable victories in recent One-Day International history.

Nath narrowly missed out on his first international century, falling lbw to Netherlands captain Bas de Leede for 99. However, his stellar performance was enough to secure a five-wicket win for the UAE at the ICC Academy in Dubai Sports City. This victory marked only the UAE's 10th win in 35 matches in Cricket World Cup League Two. Despite finishing last in the competition with one match remaining against Oman, the team has gained considerable confidence from securing two wins in three days, including a previous victory over Oman. The win against the Netherlands, a strong side in this tier of cricket, was particularly significant, with the UAE proving worthy of their triumph.

Chasing a target of 264, the UAE required composure, a quality that has often eluded them. Nath provided this with a brilliant 88-ball innings of 99, featuring five fours and four sixes, characterized by astute play and remarkable stamina. He was supported by opener Adeeb Usmani, who remained not out on 81 after retiring hurt due to the extreme heat. Usmani and Nath shared a crucial partnership that guided the team to victory.

“I love to work in pressure situations,” Akshdeep stated. “I was luckily able to do that. There was a lot of fight, and a lot of chat with Adeeb, about how to finish [the innings], and not to give them easy wickets by going for the glory shots. “I would have loved the three-figure mark, but a team win is much better, against a very good side, a top four side, and hopefully we'll continue this winning momentum.”

This achievement represents Nath's finest moment in a UAE jersey. Having arrived in the country this year, he was quickly integrated into the national team as one of the first cricketers to be naturalised as a UAE citizen. While this path may differ from his early aspirations in India, he described it as the realization of his ambitions. “Honestly, it's a dream come true for me,” Nath shared. “It's international cricket, at the end of the day. And it's pretty tough, Associate cricket; it's not that you just walk in and start scoring. You expect that, but the conditions are pretty challenging. When we [the six naturalised players] came in, we were at the bottom of the table, then you have to win games, you have to settle in. Overall, it's a dream come true for me and I would like to play as long as I can for UAE and win matches for the country.”

The UAE has one match left in the current tri-series before their critical World Cup Qualifier Play-off series in Kathmandu in December. They must finish in the top four in Nepal to retain their ODI status. Nath believes the win against the Netherlands demonstrates the team's positive trajectory. “This is a confidence booster,” he said. “We have beaten Oman three out of three times. But winning against [Netherlands] is big for us. We have played against Nepal and Scotland, and have lost very close matches, even against [CWCL2 winners] USA. So that belief is there in the team. It is just about winning those small moments, which we did today. And hopefully we can continue that from there because as a team, we are looking very good now. Although the results are not there, if you talk about the team atmosphere, it's pretty good now. Everyone knows their roles well. Everyone has settled in a particular role, so now it is just about winning those close games. We are improving as a team and looking to work hard.”