UAE beaten by Nepal as Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup dreams are dashed

National team lose by eight wickets in deciding qualifying fixture in Ajman

UAE's Indhuja Nandakumar is frustrated after a catch goes down against Nepal during their U19 Women's World Cup Asia Qualifier on November 13, 2024. Nepal won the game in Ajman by eight wickets. All images by Chris Whiteoak / The National

Nepal's Sabitri Dhami scored 12 runs off nine balls at the Seven Districts Oval in Ajman.

UAE bowler Mehak Thakur successfully appeals for the wicket of Nepal's Puja Mahato for 21.

Opener Sana Praveen top scored for Nepal, finishing unbeaten on 35.

UAE bowler Mehak Thakur is mobbed by teammates after claiming the wicket of Nepal captain Puja Mahato.

Nepal captain Puja Mahato scored 21 runs off 18 balls, including four fours.

Nepal's Riya Sharma celebrates after claiming the wicket of UAE batter Mehak Thakur for a second-ball duck.

Nepal's Krishma Gurung celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of the UAE opener Emily Thomas for a duck.

Captain Samaira Dharnidharka top-scored for UAE with 31 off 48 balls.

Nepal bowler Krishma Gurung after bowling UAE's Rishitha Rajith for a duck. Gurung finished with figures of 4-17 off her four overs.

Some of the country’s leading female cricketers had their World Cup dream dashed for the second time in the matter of months, after the UAE missed out on qualifying for the Under 19 T20 World Cup.

Back in May, the senior national team fell 15 runs short of making it to the main event when they were beaten by Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Six months later, the age-group side suffered a similar fate – and against familiar rivals, too.

The national team were beaten by eight wickets by Nepal in the final fixture of the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Ajman.

After both sides had beaten Kuwait and Thailand comfortably, twice each, in the four-team tournament, the last group match was a decider.

The host nation had started the day with a healthy net run-rate advantage over the tourists, whom they had beaten earlier in the group.

It meant that a win would guarantee the UAE a place at the World Cup in Malaysia in January, while a narrow loss would also have been sufficient.

The reward on offer appeared to spook the UAE team, though, as they were a shadow of their previous selves, and they underperformed in all facets of the game.

A nervy batting display meant they could post just 83-9 from their 20 overs. Once captain Samaira Dharnidharka had gone for 31, and Rinitha Rajith for 20, the hosts stalled.

Nepal needed to chase the target within 16.2 overs to move past the UAE on net run-rate. They cruised it, aided by an under-par fielding display by the hosts, as they reached 86-2 in just 14.4 overs. Sana Praveen led them to qualification with an assured 35 not out.

The anguish of missing out was doubly painful for Dharnidharka and Rajith, as well as the likes of Lavanya Keny and Indhuja Nandakumar, who are all established members of the senior squad, too.

The identity of their conquerors was painfully familiar, too. The UAE and Nepal have one of the most compelling rivalries among cricket’s emerging nations, across both the men’s and women’s game.

Coincidentally, Nepal’s U19 women’s side had achieved the same goal against the same opposition, two ovals apart on the same site in Ajman, and one year on from when their male colleagues had done similar in the final match of qualifying for their World Cup.

As well as an appearance at the World Cup, the victory in Ajman also earned Nepal at place at the U19 Asia Cup, also in Malaysia, next month, where they will face India and Pakistan.