UAE’s cricketing dreams crushed in loss to India

The UAE has been around in international cricket for more than three decades. They earned ODI status in 1994 and have played official T20 Internationals since 2019. Thirty years is long enough for a cricketing system to grow, learn, and compete. Which is why their performance against India yesterday was not just disappointing — it was embarrassing.

The numbers speak louder than words. In a T20 game, they lasted barely 12 overs. To be bowled out so quickly against a top team was a collapse without fight or resistance. This wasn’t about losing to India — that was always likely. It was about the manner of surrender.

When an associate team plays the world champions, it is more than just another fixture. It is an audition on the big stage. For players, it is a chance to show they belong, to fight, to leave an impression. Even in defeat, there is honour if you compete. But the UAE offered none of that.

The batting was reckless. Footwork was missing, shot selection was poor, and there was no effort to build partnerships. It looked like a team hoping something would happen, rather than making it happen. That is not international cricket. That is not respect for the stage or the opposition.

India, of course, were ruthless. They didn’t need to be extraordinary. Their bowlers hit the right areas, forced errors, and wrapped things up with ease. But the point is this: India did not need to move beyond second gear. For a team like the UAE, that should sting. Because the best way to measure progress is to see if you can make giants sweat. Yesterday, India hardly broke a sweat.

Thirty years of international exposure, ICC backing, decent facilities, and a steady stream of expat talent should have meant more. The excuse of being “new to the game” has long expired. Associate teams like Afghanistan have shown what is possible in less time. The UAE, instead, continue to flatter only in patches.

What unfolded yesterday was not merely a defeat. It was a wasted chance. A chance to show fight, to learn in battle, to prove that the long learning curve has been worth something. Instead, they left the field with nothing but blushes.

Opportunities like this don’t come often. When they do, the least a team can do is compete. Respect the opposition. Respect the stage. Respect themselves. On this occasion, the UAE did none of the above. And in international sport, that is inexcusable.