Watch: Mahika Gaur, who represented UAE for four years, picked up her first international wicket for England on her team debut when she dismissed Sri Lanka legend Chamari Athapaththu for 15 during the first T20I on August 31 (Thursday).
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The 17-year-old Gaur made her international debut for the UAE in 2019 and played 19 T20Is in the last four years. On Thursday, she became only the seventh women’s cricketer to play for two countries when she represented England against Sri Lanka, taking the field in the first T20I.
Gaur did not have the greatest start to her England career as she started with three wides and then conceded a four in her third legal delivery. After being hit for a six on the fourth ball of the fourth over by Athapaththu, she bounced back to dismiss the Sri Lanka skipper just two deliveries later.
The batter looked to maximise the good length ball, but she only managed a top edge the outswinger to the wicketkeeper, resulting in her departure for 15. It was Gaur’s first wicket for England, and her tenth T20I scalp overall.
Gaur is the first women’s player from the UAE to play for a second country.
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Chamani Seneviratne, who played for Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2013, switched sides in 2018 and represented UAE for four years.
Watch Mahika Gaur picking her first international wicket for England:
First wicket in international cricket 👆
Quite an evening for Mahika Gaur 🙌#EnglandCricket #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/RxBDPMisPH
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 31, 2023
