DUBAI: Mehak Thakur will lead the United Arab Emirates in the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2026, with the eight-team tournament set to begin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, July 23.

The UAE has named a 14-member squad for the regional qualification event, which will determine Asia’s representative at the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2027.

Only the tournament winner will secure qualification for the global event, increasing the significance of every group-stage and knockout match.

The UAE has been placed in Group A alongside hosts Malaysia, Hong Kong China and Qatar. Group B includes Thailand, Kuwait, Myanmar and Bhutan.

UAE will open its campaign against Hong Kong China at the Bayuemas Oval on Thursday, July 23.

The team will then face Malaysia at the YSD UKM Oval on Friday, July 24, before completing its group-stage campaign against Qatar at the Bayuemas Oval on Sunday, July 26.

All three UAE group matches are scheduled to begin at 9:15am local time.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on Tuesday, July 28.

The two semi-final winners will meet in the final on Thursday, July 30, with the World Cup qualification place at stake. The losing semi-finalists will contest a third-place playoff.

Thakur will lead a squad featuring Afsha Afzal Khan, Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Fiza Ayub, Gayetri Menon, Janani Thirukkumaran, Mehul Kulkarni, Malavika Rajeev, Neha Kumari, Sai Nikhil Thite, Simran Sheth, Subaneetha Saravanan and Uttara Parameshwaran Iyer.

Emily Thomas has been named as the squad’s wicketkeeper.

The player age eligibility cutoff for the tournament is September 1, 2007.

Subha Venkataraman will serve as interim head coach, while Shyla Alam has been appointed strength and conditioning coach. Merin Saji will work as team manager and physiotherapist.

UAE will be aiming to finish among the top two teams in Group A before mounting a challenge for the tournament title and Asia’s only qualification berth for the 2027 World Cup.

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