Suraksha Kotte: UAE Spin Star Pursues World Cup Dream, Fueled by Father's Memory

In a pivotal moment for the UAE women's cricket team during the Women's Asia Cup at Dubai International Stadium, standout player Suraksha Kotte's dedication to the sport was evident. The team was on the cusp of a significant victory against Bangladesh, a match crucial for their advancement to the knockout stage. Despite facing opponents with superior world rankings and experience, Suraksha delivered a stellar performance, taking 3 wickets for 11 runs in four overs with her spin bowling, tying the Bangladesh top order in knots. Although the UAE ultimately fell short in the run chase, this performance underscored the national team's growing prowess in women's cricket.

The significance of facing Bangladesh was amplified by the fact that they were also the opponents in the UAE's first women's international match in 2007, a game where the UAE was bowled out for just nine runs. Suraksha, who was only four years old then and moved to Dubai a year later, is now a key figure in transforming the UAE side from underdogs into formidable Asian cricket contenders.

However, Suraksha's journey in cricket was nearly cut short. Following the death of her father, Sudheer, in March 2021, she and her brother faced significant financial and personal challenges. The family considered leaving Dubai and returning to their hometown in Andhra Pradesh, India. Through resilience, her mother, Shrisha, secured employment at GE, her late husband's former workplace. Suraksha graduated to become an associate project manager at Oracle, and her brother, Suraj, works for Nissan. Amidst these demanding careers, Suraksha has maintained an impressive cricket career.

Her continued participation in cricket is deeply inspired by her father. "He's one of the reasons why I'm still playing cricket; it's for him," Suraksha shared. "He had been there throughout my development phase. We used to get up in the morning, and he’d say, ‘Let's go practice’. It was like a typical dad-daughter story." She recalled his immense pride when she made her senior debut against Malaysia in Bangkok, sharing the news excitedly with his colleagues. "You couldn't imagine the happiness he had," she said.

Suraksha finds strength in the close-knit UAE women's team, whom she considers family. "We're a small circle. We've grown up with each other. Our families meet so often, we've actually become like one huge family. That strengthens our bond even more. It really feels like we're on this journey together and we have a dream of qualifying for the World Cup."

While the team has yet to compete in a major global event, they have consistently narrowed the gap with elite teams, pushing Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup qualifiers and performing strongly against Bangladesh. They have also secured victories against full-member nations like Zimbabwe in one-day international cricket. Suraksha, echoing captain Esha Oza, emphasized the need for more matches against Test-playing nations to elevate their game. "We play these teams once in two years, so imagine what we can do with more exposure, and playing them every few months," she stated. "As a team we can grow to that level with the exposure, with the right skills, with the right mindset. We can cross many scores that we haven't even thought of right now. We can achieve that for sure."