India's U-19 World Cup winner among five cricketers granted UAE citizenship
Akshdeep Nath (Source: Instagram/akshdeep_nath_)
Published - 20 Apr 2026, 05:45 AM• Read time - 3 mins
Five players have become the first cricketers to be granted UAE citizenship through naturalisation, marking a major milestone for cricket in the Gulf nation. All five players, namely Khuzaima Tanveer, Ajay Kumar, Akshdeep Nath, Harpreet Bhatia and Adeeb Usmani, are part of UAE’s 17-member squad currently in Nepal for two T20Is and an ODI tri-series.
Cricket in the UAE has largely been played by emigrants, who have gone on to represent the country after meeting ICC's eligibility criteria after having stayed in the nation for three years. In other sports such as football, rugby and judo, players have previously gained UAE citizenship following a presidential decree in 2018.
Now, all five players can represent the UAE by virtue of being citizens of the country and holding a passport. The most prominent name among the players who’ve attained citizenship is Akshdeep Nath, who’s a right-handed batter and was also the vice-captain of India’s 2012 Under-19 World Cup-winning side.
Nath rose through the ranks after scoring a truckload of runs in Uttar Pradesh domestic circuits and has even played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Gujarat Lions, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Meanwhile, upon receiving the citizenship, Ajay Kumar shared his excitement and thanked the management for their support throughout his journey.
"From the day I landed in the UAE, it was my dream to represent the country at the international level. Now I am getting this chance and all thanks to UAE, the support staff, and I have really been helped by playing domestic and club level cricket. They have been looking after us really well. The management have been supportive throughout the whole journey. I am grateful to the board and all the cricket fraternity. I am really excited to represent this country and do well for them,” Kumar told The National.
Khuzaima Tanveer thanks Emirates Cricket Board
Khuzaima Tanveer also expressed his delight, describing himself as fortunate to have been given the opportunity to represent the country.
"If you get this opportunity to represent your country, it is a feeling that is out of this world for any player. The country is trusting you and giving you this chance, so I think you are the lucky one. I have played UAE domestic cricket for the past three years and have played the past two seasons of ILT20 and Abu Dhabi T10. It has been a great experience to play with international players. Now I have this opportunity to play for UAE. I am very grateful to the Emirates Cricket Board for supporting me,” Tanveer was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
The 26-year-old is a right-arm fast bowler with 26 wickets from 19 T20 matches. On the other hand, Adeeb Usmani is a wicketkeeper batter.
