Match No. 18 of the ICC Women’s World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025 between Malaysia Women and Qatar Women ends the group stage matches of the Pool B with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Women leading the chart. Both Malaysia and Qatar are yet to open their account in the tournament and would want to win and play for pride, now that it’s almost impossible to restrict the UAE Women from qualifying for the next round.
In the last five outings for both these sides, Malaysia Women have lost three games with the other two games abandoned whereas Qatar Women have won two games, lost one and the other two abandoned.
Squads:
Malaysia Women’s Cricket Team
Elsa Hunter, Mas Elysa, Nazatul Hidayah Husna, Ainna Hashim, Amalin Sorfina, Mahirah Izzati, Nur Izzatul Syafiqa, Suabika, Aina Najwa, Wan Julia, Aisya Eleesa, Marsya, Nazwah, Nur Dania Syuhada
Qatar Women’s Cricket Team
Aysha, Christeena Jacob, Shahreen Bahadur, Amna Abdulaziz, Devanandha Kavinisseri, Maria Jacob, Roheed Akhtar, Sabeeja Panayan, Rizpha Bano Emmanuel, Angeline Mare, Hiral Agarwal, Khadija Imtiaz, Sarrinah Ahmed, Sudha Thapa
Players to watch out:
Mas Elysa
The 24-year-old Malaysian batter has been absolutely amazing with the bat as well as handy with the ball whenever required. Elysa has played a total of 71 T20Is, scoring around 1149 runs with a strike rate of 87.04 and 4 half-centuries. She has also picked up 34 wickets in 41 innings with a 5-wicket haul, the best bowling figures of 6 for just 3, being the standout. Her role in this team would be very crucial going forward.
Elsa Hunter
The 20-year-old top-order-batter has 709 runs in just 42 innings with three half-centuries and a strike rate of 89.52. Elsa with her batting prowess will be very crucial for the Malaysia Women’s team to help them advance in the competition. She hasn’t played much T20I cricket lately but will be a very vital aspect in this game against Qatar Women.
Aysha
The 34-year-old seasoned campaigner from Qatar is a vital cog for the Qatar Women’s team. She has scored 723 runs in 36 innings striking at 109.54 with a half-century and a century under her name. She not only performed with the bat but also picked 23 wickets in 32 innings. She has scored 200 runs in her last 10 innings and picked up 7 wickets being a balanced and consistent performer with the bat and ball for Qatar.
Shahreen Bahadur
The 33-year-old Pakistan born all-rounder is another key all-rounder for Qatar. Bahadur has contributed to both the departments and continues to do the same. In 31 innings, Bahadur has scored 362 runs with a century and in 19 innings with the ball she has picked up 14 wickets. In her last game against Bahrain, she scored 35 runs and picked up 2 wickets as well. Qatar Women will want Bahadur to keep performing for them in the same way.
Pitch:
Terdthai Cricket Ground offers a balanced pitch with early help for seamers and later assistance for spinners. The average first-innings T20 score is around 135-145, with chasing sides having a slight edge. Expect moderate bounce and a fair contest between bat and ball.
Weather:
Rain interruptions and delays are likely throughout the match. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 31°C with 70% precipitation and gradually increases. Average humidity would be around 83% and gradually decreases as the match progresses.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Elsa Hunter, Mas Elysa, Ainna Hashim, Mahirah Izzati, Aysha, Shahreen Bahadur, Roheed Akhtar, Rizpha Bano Emmanuel, Hiral Agarwal, Khadija Imtiaz, Sudha Thapa
Match details:
Date – May 16, 2025
Time – 12:00 PM IST
Venue – Terdthai Cricket Ground, Bangkok
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
