The UAE have equalled the world record for the longest unbeaten run in T20 international cricket after winning the ACC Women’s T20 Championship in Malaysia.
The national team beat the host nation by five wickets in Saturday’s final in Kuala Lumpur.
It was their 20th game in a row without defeat, matching the record first set by the England women’s side in 2012.
Coincidentally, the UAE’s winning run had started with a success against Malaysia, back at the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier in Dubai in November 2022.
They won that event, then have followed it up since with the GCC Women’s Championship, a bilateral series against Hong Kong, and now this Asia Cup qualifying tournament.
It is unclear when the UAE might get the chance to claim the record outright.
The next engagement inked in the diary is the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, which will be played on home soil from September 20 to 28, although they will likely want match practice before that competition.
That will be the biggest test yet of the progress made by the national team. The eight-team event carries with it two qualifying berths for the main event in South Africa next year.
Along with hosts UAE, the competition will involve Bangladesh, Thailand, Scotland, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe and United States.
Although UAE women have yet to play at a World Cup, they will be buoyed by the remarkable run of success they have had in recent times.
Earlier this month, the age-group side sealed qualification for the first Women’s U19 T20 World Cup, in dominant fashion in Malaysia. That side includes a sizeable portion of players from the senior squad.
A number of them stayed on for the ACC T20 Championship. By reaching the final, the national team sealed a place at the Asia Cup, due to be played in Bangladesh later this year, in the process.
The win in the final at the Kinrara Oval was the 18th in the past 20 games, with two matches abandoned due to rain in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia opted to bat first in the final after winning the toss, and reached 100 for four from their 20 overs.
Indhuja Nandakumar took two wickets, with captain Chaya Mughal and Khushi Sharma taking the other two wickets to fall.
Theertha Satish, who had led the U19 side to success earlier in June, betrayed no signs of nerves as she powered UAE to victory.
The left-handed opener scored a 36-ball half-century, and UAE sealed the title in the penultimate over.
