T20 World Cup 2026 – SA vs UAE – UAE coach Lalchand Rajput not surprised by Associates’ performance

“I am not surprised by (how the) Associate teams (performed) because we are playing among the Associates. It is a big platform for the Associates to show their talent. And I think they did,” Rajput said at the UAE’s pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “If you look at overall cricket around the world, the smaller teams really come to the fore. It’s a good thing that cricket is growing and that associated countries have put their hands up and said, ‘don’t take us lightly’.”

“The last two games have really proven that we are a better team than expected after the first game,” said Rajput. “Associates should play more matches. Until you play more matches, you won’t know how to handle those (close) situations. You can do a clean sheet, but how do you get out of a tough situation like 80 for 5? Or how do you win in the last two overs? You don’t get it until you’re on the ground, until you want to play more matches.”

“We saw him in the local cricket and we called him for the camp. And then in the national camp we played matches against each other, so he showed a lot of positive intent and batted really well. Before that we took him to the (Asia Cup Rising Stars) where he got a 60 against India,” said Rajput. “He’s mentally strong and he plays fearless cricket. He backs up his skill and the way he fights is fantastic. It’s a good platform for him to show what he can do. He just has to go higher now. He can’t go down now.”

With a league and some of the best facilities in the global game – they have the advantage of having access to the ICC Academy in Dubai – the UAE have the building blocks for success. “There are excellent facilities. We get the facilities to (practice), play matches. And we don’t complain about that, because we get the best facilities. That’s why the players are also very eager to perform better.”

But he also knows what they need to improve and has advocated more longer-form cricket to help develop skills over a period of time. “The only thing missing is that two-day format or three-day format. It’s going to be useful for the 50-over format,” Rajput said. “We are trying to inculcate in our domestic cricket playing at least two-day matches, so that the players come and learn how to play big innings. Even for the bowlers in a 50-over match, a bowler has to bowl ten overs, but he only plays T20 and T10. And if you tell him to play 50 overs than to bowl ten overs, he is not the same as four overs.”

UAE’s next big task would be to concentrate on qualifying for the 2027 ODI World Cup. They are currently bottom of the eight-team World Cricket League 2 standings, 26 points behind leaders USA.