In one of the rarest moments in T20 cricket history, the UAE women’s team made headlines during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025 in Bangkok by retiring out all of their 10 batters—a strategic move never seen before at this level.
Facing Qatar, openers Esha Oza and Theertha Satish lit up the scorecard with a remarkable 192-run stand. Oza smashed a fiery 113 runs off 55 balls, while Satish scored 74 runs off 42 deliveries. But what happened next shocked the entire cricketing world—all their batters were retired, and suddenly, they ended up from 192/0 to 192/10 in 16 overs.
The decision was a strategic one. Due to bad weather and rain looming, UAE coach Ahmed Raza approached officials to find a solution. Talking about that, Raza said, “I went to the umpires and checked whether we could declare but in white-ball cricket you cannot declar,” he added, “I then asked the match referee if I could retire my whole team out.”
“By doing this I meant no disrespect to anyone involved, our opposition.” – UAE coach Ahmed Raza
The move paid off. The UAE bowled out Qatar for just 29 runs in 11.1 overs, sealing a massive 163-run win and boosting their net run rate significantly.
Raza emphasised that the tactics, while unusual, were well within the rules and carried no ill intent. “By doing this I meant no disrespect to anyone involved, our opposition. Everything that happened was within the laws and was well communicated with the match referee,” he clarified.
While ‘retired out’ made headlines, Raza reminded fans of the team’s dominant all-round show. “This extraordinary series of events should not overshadow our captain’s hundred, our opening stand of 192, and our bowlers doing the remaining job,” he added.
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