UAE Captain Esha Oza Calls for More Matches Against Elite Teams After Narrow Women's Asia Cup Defeat to Bangladesh

Esha Oza stated that the UAE require more fixtures against cricket's elite if they wish to convert narrow defeats into victories against top-tier opponents. During their final Women’s Asia Cup group match against Bangladesh on Tuesday night, the team appeared poised for a major upset for the first half of the game.

Suraksha Kotte delivered an exceptional spell in the powerplay at the Dubai International Stadium as Bangladesh, former winners of the competition, struggled to establish dominance. Kotte claimed 3-11 from four overs of mystery spin, while 15-year-old all-rounder Janani Thirukkumaran also excelled by taking a wicket and conceding only five runs in the penultimate over, restricting Bangladesh to 103-7.

However, the UAE failed to capitalize on the momentum, managing only 69-9 in reply. This outcome echoed a previous encounter on home soil in Abu Dhabi, where a narrow run-chase defeat against Sri Lanka cost them a T20 World Cup appearance, while this latest loss eliminated their chances of reaching the semi-finals against India.

Oza expressed pride in the bowling effort but emphasized that batting deficiencies must be resolved to achieve genuine progress. She highlighted that regular fixtures against Test-playing nations are crucial for building player confidence and experience.

“I think more matches would definitely help,” Oza said. “What can bridge the gap between us and full members would be batting. The more we play against those kinds of bowlers, the more we would improve as batters as well.”

Despite the disappointing finish, Oza noted that the dressing room maintained strong belief during the innings break. “Our bowlers gave us a great start, but we have a lot to work on as a batting unit,” she concluded.