The United Arab Emirates, led by skipper Samaira Dharnidharka, were up against Bhutan, led by skipper Ngawang Choden, at Bayuemas Cricket Oval, Kuala Lumpur, in the 14th match of the ongoing ACC Women’s Under-19 Premier Cup 2026.
The UAE openers Lavanya Keny and AL Maseera Jahangir got their side off to a proactive start with a 73-run opening partnership after skipper Samaira Dharnidharka won the toss and opted to bat first. Sangay Yangzom broke the stand by sending Lavanya Keny (40 off 43 balls) back to the pavilion in the 13th over of the innings to provide the much-needed first breakthrough for Bhutan.
Decent partnerships of 24 runs for the 2nd wicket between skipper Samaira Dharnidharka (13 off 11 balls) and AL Maseera Jahangir, followed by a 20-run stand for the 3rd wicket between Vaishnave Mahesh and AL Maseera Jahangir (39 off 48 balls), took them closer to the 120-run mark. The UAE eventually finished with a competitive total of 133/4 in their 20 overs. Vaishnave Mahesh (16 off 10 balls) chipped in with a handy cameo with the bat for her side.
Jigme Tshomo (4-25-3) was the stand-out performer with the ball for Bhutan. Sangay Yangzom (2-12-1) and skipper Ngawang Choden (4-26-0) played their part with the ball for their side.
Chasing a target of 134, skipper Ngawang Choden (31 off 38 balls) led from the front as she kept losing partners at regular intervals. She found a reliable partner in Sonam Pelden (18 off 32 balls), and the duo stitched a crucial 44-run partnership for the 4th wicket, which also took them past the 50-run mark in the run chase.
Sai Nikhil Thite got the big scalp of the opposition skipper, Ngawang Choden, in the 15th over to provide the 4th breakthrough for UAE. The Bhutan batters failed to catch up with the required run rate and eventually just managed 88/8 in their quota of 20 overs, falling 45 runs short of the target. Samjana Mongar (11* off 11 balls) was the only other batter to enter the double digits with the bat for Bhutan.
Skipper Samaira Dharnidharka (4-8-2), Janani Thirukkumaran (4-12-3), Sai Nikhil Thite (3-11-2), and Vaishnave Mahesh (4-20-1) were the top performers with the ball for the United Arab Emirates. The UAE opening batter Lavanya Keny (40 off 43 balls) was awarded the Player of the Match.
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