We look forward to make history in Zimbabwe, UAE Women's team captain Esha says

Dubai: The UAE women's cricket team is poised to make history as they embark on their first-ever One-Day International (ODI) series, beginning Friday in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. This landmark tour marks the team’s debut in the 50-over format, with four ODIs scheduled against the Zimbabwe women’s team.

The UAE earned ODI status from the International Cricket Council (ICC) in May this year, following a string of impressive performances in T20 Internationals that propelled them into the top 15 global rankings—securing their place in the longer format.

The four ODIs will be played on September 26, 28, 30, and October 2, all starting at 9:15 AM local time. The series will be followed by two T20Is on October 5 and 6.

Team captain Esha Oza expressed her excitement ahead of the historic series. "The entire squad is looking forward to making history this week. We’ve worked incredibly hard to earn our ICC ODI status, and now we’re ready to take this next step. Since arriving in Zimbabwe, we’ve acclimatised well and got off to a good start by winning our practice match against the High Performance team."

"Our preparation has been thorough. We had an intensive training camp in Dubai that helped us not only select a strong 17-player squad but also fine-tune our game plan for this series. We’ve put in the work both mentally and physically to meet the demands of the 50-over format. We’re excited for the first ball to be bowled tomorrow.”

Emirates Cricket Board Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad said, "This is a truly historic moment for UAE cricket as our women’s team makes its ODI debut. It’s the result of years of dedication, development, and investment in women’s cricket. The players have performed consistently in T20Is, and they fully deserve the ICC ODI status they’ve achieved."

Squad: Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, 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) and Merin Saji (physiotherapist).