Esha Oza to lead UAE in inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2025

Eight teams to compete in tournament to be held in Thailand from November 20 to 30

Last updated: November 13, 2025 | 14:54

Jai Rai, Assistant Editor

2 MIN READ

Esha Oza to lead UAE in inaugural ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy

Dubai: All-rounder Esha Oza will lead the UAE Women’s team in their tour to Thailand for the inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2025.

Eight teams are competing in the T20 tournament that will be played in single-league format — each team to play all other teams once. The two venues are Terdthai Cricket Ground (TCG) and Asian Institute of Technology (AIT Ground).

Besides the hosts Thailand and UAE, Namibia, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Scotland, Tanzania and Uganda are featuring in the tournament. UAE will take on PNG on Thursday, 20 November in their opening match. They play Netherlands the following day in their second game of the tournament — both matches will be hosted at the AIT Ground. UAE’s third fixture is against Scotland at the TCG on Sunday, 23 November and their fourth fixture is against Uganda at the AIT Ground on Tuesday, 25 November.

UAE will take on Tanzania (TCG) on Wednesday, 26 November, Thailand on Friday, 28 November (TCG) and Namibia on Sunday, 30 November (AIT Ground).

The team that finishes on the top of the table will be declared tournament winners.

UAE squad: Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Lavanya Keny, 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), Hithaishi Basavaraj (strength and conditioning coach) and Merin Saji (physiotherapist).

UAE matches:

November 20: PNG vs UAE, AIT Ground

November 21: Netherlands vs UAE, AIT Ground

November 23: UAE vs Scotland, Terdthai Cricket Ground

November 25: UAE vs Uganda, AIT Ground

November 26: Tanzania vs UAE, Terdthai Cricket Ground

November 28: Thailand vs UAE, Terdthai Cricket Ground

November 30: UAE vs Namibia, AIT Ground

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Jai RaiAssistant Editor

Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.

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