UAE fast bowler Mahika Gaur selected for England A squad

Former Dubai College pupil has impressed in the domestic game since moving to UK on a school sports scholarship

Mahika Gaur played for Thunder during a Charlotte Edwards Cup match against The Blaze at Old Trafford on May 25, 2023. Getty

Mahika Gaur, the Dubai-raised fast bowler, has been named in England’s A squad to face Australia A on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old left-armer has played 19 matches for the UAE senior women’s team.

The former Dubai College pupil was born in Reading in the UK and attends school in Lancashire on a sports scholarship.

She has dovetailed her studies this summer with playing for the Thunder, the Manchester-based team who play in the UK’s leading domestic T20 competition.

She was initially recruited to that team after impressing their coaches and senior players at a masterclass coaching session at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

If she is selected to play against Australia A in the fixture in Loughborough, it would not affect her eligibility for UAE selection.

However, it does suggest she is on the radar of the England senior side, which could lead to her having to choose between them and UAE in the future.