UAE's Esha Oza Becomes First Female Cricketer from Associate Nations to Surpass 3000 T20I Runs

In a dazzling display of batting prowess, 27-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE) all-rounder and captain Esha Oza etched her name into cricketing history by becoming the first woman from the associate member nations to surpass 3,000 T20I runs.

The milestone arrived during the Gulf Cricket Women’s T20I Championship 2025 against Saudi Arabia, where her explosive 64 off 35 balls propelled UAE to a staggering 251/2, securing a 238-run victory. As the UAE’s leading T20I run scorer overall, Oza’s leadership has her unbeaten side topping the points table with 8 points from four wins, underscoring her dual role as batter and inspirational skipper.

Oza’s landmark moment came after the UAE won the toss and batted first. Opening alongside Al Maseera Jahangir, she smashed 9 boundaries in her 35-ball stay, blending finesse with ferocity to anchor the innings. UAE’s monstrous total of 251/2 in 20 overs left Saudi Arabia reeling, handing Oza’s team their fourth straight win and sole unbeaten record in the tournament.

Currently, she’s the UAE’s top scorer and the tournament’s fourth-highest run-getter with 129 runs at a strike rate of 179.16 and an average of 43 across four innings, including one half-century, stats that scream consistency under pressure.

Oza’s journey began on July 7, 2018, with a T20I debut against the Netherlands in Utrecht. In 108 matches and 106 innings since, she has amassed 3,005 runs at a strike rate of 117.47 and an average of 31.96, featuring 13 half-centuries and 4 centuries. Her all-round skills shine through, but it’s her batting that defines her legacy as the UAE’s record run-scorer.

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No knock epitomizes this more than her best-ever T20I effort on March 26, 2022, against Bahrain, an unbeaten 158 off 71 balls, laced with 22 boundaries and 6 sixes. Opening after the UAE opted to bat first alongside Kavisha Egodage, she powered her side to 253/1, clinching a 210-run thrashing and the Player of the Match award.

Oza’s rise mirrors UAE women’s cricket’s ascent, turning Associates into tournament frontrunners. At 27, with the Gulf Championship still unfolding, expect more fireworks from this trailblazer.