United Arab Emirates (UAE) Women U19 made a perfect start to their ACC Women’s U19 Premier Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 44-run victory (D/L method) over Oman Women U19 in the opening Group B match at the YSD UKM Oval in Bangi on July 11, 2026. A brilliant unbeaten half-century from Lavanya Keny and an excellent all-round bowling display helped UAE earn their first two points of the tournament.
Batting first after winning the toss, UAE Women U19 posted a strong total of 156/3 in 20 overs. The innings was built around an outstanding unbeaten partnership between Lavanya Keny and Vaishnave Mahesh, who helped their team recover after losing two early wickets.
UAE did not have the best start as AL Maseera Jahangir was dismissed for 15 after hitting three boundaries. Captain Samaira Dharnidharka also could not stay long and scored 12 from only nine balls before being caught off Nitya Joshi’s bowling. At 34/2, UAE needed a solid partnership to rebuild the innings.
Lavanya Keny and Vaishnave Mahesh answered that challenge brilliantly. The pair added 106 runs for the third wicket, completely changing the match. Keny played the leading role with a superb unbeaten 74 from 54 balls, hitting 10 fours and one six. She timed the ball beautifully and kept the scoreboard moving throughout her innings.
Vaishnave Mahesh gave her excellent support with 47 from 41 balls, including four boundaries. She rotated the strike well and allowed Keny to play freely during the partnership. Their stand took UAE into a commanding position before Mahesh was dismissed in the 19th over.
Mehul Pranav Kulkarni remained unbeaten on two as UAE finished with 156/3, a total that looked difficult to chase on a pitch offering help to the bowlers.
For Oman Women U19, Pia Sharma was the most successful bowler with 2/24 from four overs, while captain Nitya Joshi picked up one wicket. However, the bowlers struggled to stop the partnership between Keny and Mahesh, which proved to be the difference in the innings.
Oman’s chase never got going as UAE’s bowlers produced a disciplined performance from the very beginning. The batting line-up came under pressure immediately after opener Eshal Siddiqui was dismissed for a duck by Samaira Dharnidharka in the very first over.
Amishi Sarkar managed only one run before Simran Hemal AS removed her, while Sahana Jeelany was run out after scoring just two. Lujaina was then stumped off AL Maseera Jahangir’s bowling without scoring, leaving Oman struggling at 11/4 after six overs.
Captain Nitya Joshi remained unbeaten on six, but Oman found it extremely difficult to score against the disciplined UAE attack. Rain interrupted play after six overs, and with Oman well behind the required scoring rate, the Duckworth-Lewis method gave UAE Women U19 a comfortable 44-run victory.
Samaira Dharnidharka, Simran Hemal AS and AL Maseera Jahangir claimed one wicket each, while the fielders also impressed with a run-out and sharp catching. Every UAE bowler maintained tight lines and never allowed the Oman batters to settle.
The victory gives UAE Women U19 an excellent start to the tournament. They now sit at the top of the Group B points table with two points and a healthy net run rate of +7.167 after one match. Oman Women U19 are placed second with zero points and a net run rate of -7.167, while Bhutan Women U19 are yet to begin their campaign.
With both their batting and bowling units performing well in the opening match, UAE Women U19 will take plenty of confidence into their upcoming fixtures as they continue their quest for a place in the later stages of the ACC Women’s U19 Premier Cup 2026.
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