Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma combine to quell UAE hopes of an upset against India

National team comfortably beaten at Women’s Asia Cup in Bangladesh by world’s No 4 ranked side

Mahika Gaur of UAE celebrates the wicket of Sabbineni Meghana of India during their Women’s T20 Asia Cup match in Sylhet, Bangladesh, October 4, 2022. Photo: Asian Cricket Council

Jemimah Rodrigues racked up a second player-of-the-match award in the space of three games as India overpowered the UAE in the Women’s Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

The young batting star made a rapid 75 not out to extinguish UAE’s hopes of an upset, after the national team had hinted at doing just that with a fast start.

Chaya Mughal took a wicket with the fifth ball of the match. When Mahika Gaur followed with one of her own, and Esha Oza and Kavisha Kumari combined for a run out, India were 20-3.

What followed was a show of class by Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma (64). The duo shared a 128-run stand for the fourth wicket in 13 and a half overs, to take the game out of UAE’s reach.

India, ranked fourth in the world, piled on 61 runs in the last five overs as they set UAE a daunting target of 179 to win.

The national team never threatened to do so, after they lost their openers Theertha Satish and Oza cheaply.

They eventually reached 74-4 from their 20 overs, with Kavisha not out on 30.

It was India’s third successive win in the competition. The UAE have yet to open their account, after defeats to Sri Lanka and India, but they will get a chance to claim their first points when they face Malaysia on Wednesday.

In Australia, the men’s UAE national team picked up a third win out of three in practice matches against local club teams, as they prepare for the T20 World Cup.

After comfortable wins against Geelong and Essendon earlier in the week, CP Rizwan’s side were pushed close by the former on Tuesday.

Zawar Farid took 3-15 as Geelong made 140-8 from their 20 overs.

The tourists, who will play Netherlands, Sri Lanka and Namibia when the World Cup first round gets underway on October 16, initially struggled in reply.

Geelong reduced them to 11-3, but 16-year-old schoolboy Aayan Afzal Khan made an unbeaten 52 to take UAE to the target with two balls to spare.