UAE Women’s U19 clinch Asia World Cup Qualifier with thrilling one-run win

The UAE Women’s U19 team secured a thrilling one-run victory over Malaysia Women’s U19 to clinch the ICC U19 Women’s T20 Asia World Cup Qualifier in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

The narrow win also booked the UAE’s place in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the UAE suffered two early setbacks, including the dismissal of captain Mehak Thakur.

Al Maseera Jahangir and Mehul Kulkarni then steadied the innings with a 44-run partnership for the third wicket. However, the UAE lost both well-set batters in quick succession, triggering a collapse.

Mehul was the first to depart after scoring 22 off 24 balls, including three boundaries, while Al Maseera followed soon after with 31 off 34 balls, hitting two fours.

Gritty show

Uttara Iyer was the only other batter to offer resistance, scoring a gritty 19 off 18 deliveries, as the UAE were bowled out for 95 in 19.3 overs. For Malaysia, Nur Qalysha and Irdina Beh Nabil claimed two wickets each.

Malaysia began their chase cautiously, with openers Nur Aliya (12 off 25 balls) and Nazatul Hidayah Husna (16) putting together a steady start.

The UAE bowlers, however, maintained relentless pressure and refused to allow the Malaysian batters to score freely. Nurin Imanina kept Malaysia’s hopes alive with a determined 36 off 40 balls, while Suabika Manivannan provided support at the other end.

Close run

The contest went down to the final two overs, with Malaysia needing 15 runs for victory. Nurin was dismissed off the final ball of the 19th over, dealing another blow to the hosts’ hopes.

Malaysia then lost Suabika for 13 at the start of the final over, leaving two new batters at the crease with six runs required for victory. The UAE held their nerve, restricting Malaysia to just five runs to seal a dramatic one-run win.

The UAE bowling attack produced an outstanding performance, conceding just three boundaries throughout Malaysia’s innings.

The UAE had earlier booked their place in the final with a convincing 73-run victory over Bhutan in the semi-final.

They had also topped Group A, which included Hong Kong China, Qatar and hosts Malaysia, completing the group stage with a perfect record.