Coach Lalchand Rajput elated after UAE secure T20 World Cup qualification

Dubai: UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput expressed his delight after guiding the national team to qualification for the ICC T20 World Cup, calling it one of his key objectives since taking over the role in February last year.

“This was my main goal when I took up the coaching role,” Rajput said. “First came the Asia Cup, and then the T20 World Cup qualification. Now, our focus shifts to performing well at the T20 World Cup.”

The UAE sealed their place in the prestigious tournament with a dominant eight-wicket win over Japan in the Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, held in Al Amerat, Oman, on Thursday. They became the third team to qualify for the 2026 event in India and Sri Lanka, joining Nepal and Oman, who had booked their spots earlier.

While thrilled with the qualification, Rajput admitted to a tinge of disappointment at not finishing top of the group. “It’s a great feeling. We came here to qualify, but we also wanted to finish number one given the quality of cricket we’ve played over the past few months,” he said. “The first two games were really close — we lost to Nepal by just one run, and the next game also went down to the final over. Nevertheless, I’m happy that we’ve secured our place in the World Cup.”

Looking ahead to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, Rajput said preparation plans are already taking shape. “Our strategy will be clear once we know which group we’re in — whether we’ll be in the Indian or Sri Lankan half,” he noted. “We’re particularly focusing on strengthening our middle order and adding more all-rounders, which will be crucial.”

Rajput, who credited UAE’s recent success to the balanced composition of the squad, said, “Any team with a healthy mix of seniors and juniors is at an advantage,” he explained. “The younger players push the seniors, and having fresh legs in the side is a big plus. We had a great blend this time, and I believe that really helped the team gel well.”

“We now switch focus to the 50-over League 2 matches in Dubai. After that, we have the ILT20, and only in January will we start playing more T20 games ahead of the World Cup in February.”

“ILT20 is a massive platform for our players. It gives them the chance to share the dressing room with international stars, learn from them, and gain invaluable experience,” he said. “That kind of exposure builds confidence, which they can carry into the World Cup,” he said on the exposure UAE players are getting at ILT20.