UAE Women's Cricket Team Retires Entire Line-up for Zero in Bizarre T20 Qualifier
In a highly unusual tactical move, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) women's cricket team retired out all 10 of their batters for zero runs during their ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier match against Qatar. After posting a formidable 204/0, with openers Esha Oza and Khushi Sharma scoring unbeaten centuries, the UAE retired the entire batting order before Qatar began their chase. Qatar was subsequently bowled out for just 41, resulting in a massive 163-run victory for UAE.
Unpacked:
The UAE team retired all 10 batters deliberately to speed up the match due to an approaching storm. With no formal declaration rule in T20 cricket, this tactic ensured they could bowl at Qatar before rain threatened a no-result, securing their dominant position in the tournament.
While the rules allow batters to be retired out, it is extremely rare and almost never used as a tactical move. There is no formal 'declaration' in T20 cricket, so the UAE team used this legal but unprecedented strategy to move the match forward.
Qatar struggled significantly, being bowled out for just 29 runs, with seven players dismissed for zero. This led to a massive 163-run victory for UAE, one of the largest margins in the tournament's qualifying round.
No, this was a historic and unprecedented moment in international women's T20 cricket. The UAE women’s team set a unique world record by retiring 10 batters out in a single innings, a tactic never seen before at this level.