Esha Oza

Indian-born Emirati cricketer

Esha Oza
Personal information
Full name
Esha Rohit Oza
Born (1998-01-08) 8 January 1998 (age 26)
Mumbai, India[1][2]
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off spin
RoleAll-rounder
International information
National side
T20I debut (cap 7)7 July 2018 v Netherlands
Last T20I3 October 2023 v Namibia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2017/18Desert Cubs Cricket Academy
2019–presentMumbai Women
Career statistics
Competition WT20I
Matches 46
Runs scored 1138
Batting average 29.17
100s/50s 2/4
Top score 158*
Balls bowled 540
Wickets 30
Bowling average 13.06
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 3/0
Catches/stumpings 10/1
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 13 November 2022

Esha Rohit Oza (born 8 January 1998) is an Indian-born cricketer who plays for the United Arab Emirates national cricket team and is the current captain of the national team.[3][4][5] In July 2018, she was named in the UAE squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament.[6] She made her Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) for the United Arab Emirates against the Netherlands in the World Twenty20 Qualifier on 7 July 2018.[7] In July 2018, she was named in the ICC Women's Global Development Squad.[8][5][1] Oza holds the record of the highest score by a UAE international in limited overs cricket and is also the fastest player to reach 1,000 T20I runs in WT20Is. She reached the record when she scored 115 against Qatar at the ACC Women's Championship 2022. In January 2023, Esha Oza was named the ICC Women's Associate Player of the Year for 2022.[9][10][11]

Early and personal life

Oza was born in Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra, India and came to the Dubai, United Arab Emirates with her family when she was only eight months old.[1][12] She is pursuing Business Management at the University of Wollongong at Dubai.[5]

Domestic career

Oza played domestic cricket at the Desert Cubs Cricket Academy and captained the winning team at the UAE National Women's Tournament in 2017.[13] In her breakthrough season in 2018 ECB Women's National T20 League, she made the Most Valuable Player (MVP) list with highest run-scorer as well as the joint highest wicket-taker along with hitting her maiden century.[1][14] In 2018, She was the only Emirati player to be selected for the ICC Women's Global Development Squad,[5][14] which toured England to play against the KIA Super League clubs.[15]

Oza joined the Mumbai women's cricket team in 2019[16] and is representing the team in the domestic under-23 and senior women's tournaments in India.[17][18]

International career

Oza was selected in the UAE squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament and played her senior debut Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) match for the UAE against the Netherlands on 7 July 2018.[1] In May 2022 Oza was named in the Warriors Squad at the FairBreak International 2022

In October 2022, she played for UAE in Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "UAE opener Esha Oza stands tall to reach for the sky". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  2. ^ Nayar, KR (29 May 2018). "UAE's Oza earns a call-up in ICC Global team". Gulf News. Oza, who hails from Mumbai in India
  3. ^ "Esha Oza". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Esha Rohit". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Nayar, KR (29 May 2018). "UAE's Oza earns a call-up in ICC Global team". Gulf News.
  6. ^ "ICC announces umpire and referee appointments for ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier 2018". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  7. ^ "3rd Match, Group A, ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier at Utrecht, Jul 7 2018". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Meet the Global Development Squad". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Winner of the Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year revealed". www.icc-cricket.com. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  10. ^ Radley, Paul (25 January 2023). "UAE's Esha Oza voted ICC Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year for 2022". The National (Abu Dhabi). Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  11. ^ Chaudhary, Harsh (25 January 2023). "UAE's Esha Oza declared ICC's Associate Cricketer of the Year 2022". Female Cricket. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Esha Oza - UAE female cricket prodigy". 12 July 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021. I was born in Mumbai, but my family moved to Dubai eight months after my birth
  13. ^ Pinto, Denzil (23 May 2017). "Skipper Oza leads her side to UAE National Women's Tournament glory". Sports360.
  14. ^ a b Pinto, Denzil (24 May 2018). "UAE's Esha Oza relishing the prospect of England challenge this summer". Sports360.
  15. ^ Pinto, Denzil (3 August 2018). "Plenty of positives for UAE's Esha Oza after playing against England's T20 Super League clubs". Sports360.
  16. ^ "MCA WOMENS SENIOR TEAM FOR THE YEAR 2019 - 2020". Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Esha Oza - UAE female cricket prodigy". 12 July 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Playing in Mumbai has opened my eyes on the growth of the women's game in India: Esha Oza". 13 July 2020.

Further reading

  • Borkakoty, Rituraj (12 July 2022). "Exclusive: Meet the UAE cricketer who has eclipsed global stars". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 26 February 2023.

External links