Kuwait defy odds to register first win against UAE

Muscat: Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will be joined by a sixth team, in the Asia Cup 2022.

This is to be decided through a qualifying tournament, the Asia Cup Qualifier 2022, currently underway in Oman, being contested by Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Day two was witness to a historic victory for Kuwait, their first against the United Arab Emirates. After winning the toss, Kuwait chose to field first, and were set a target of 174. The run chase was filled with drama, Kuwait pulling through to win by a wicket, with one ball to spare.

Chundangapoyil Puthiyapurayil Rizwan, UAE Captain, said, “I would like to congratulate Kuwait for their extraordinary victory. To be honest, we have only ourselves to blame. We had our moments but were unable to grab those opportunities. We would have liked to start with a victory. We could have done better in the field. With the wickets in hand, we were short by about 15-20 runs, and this was crucial in the end. Now we have to try to win the remaining matches, but if we don’t play to our potential, we can only blame ourselves.”

Mohammed Aslam, Kuwait Captain, said, “I have no words; this is a historic moment for Kuwait cricket. At this moment, the boys, the team management, and everyone on our team is incredibly happy. “We have been attempting to win against UAE since 2020, We played against them previously on two occasions but were unable to win. This time we had planned our approach, and prepared by analysing all their players, and as a team we did well today. Our aim is to win our next two games and have the chance to play against teams like India and Pakistan.”

Player of the Match, Edson Silva, said, “I was given very clear instructions about my role before the game by my coach and captain, and I kept cool and calm through the game. The team remained optimistic through the game. We will focus on our next two games,

and we believe we can qualify for the Asia Cup.”