Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
If mid-term appraisals have to be applied to Lalchand Rajput, the head coach of the UAE cricket team is slightly more than being on track, by ticking two out of three boxes he set as targets by his own admission in a three-year term.
He ensured last month that the UAE qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup – target No.2 – next year in India. To exceed expectations on that count, he will need to make sure the team does well on the big stage while also ticking off the rest of the goals. Rajput has spoken candidly about his goals, his philosophy, and what he hopes to leave behind.
“When I took up the UAE role, I set three targets – to qualify for the Asia Cup, the T20 World Cup, and the next ODI World Cup. We’ve ticked off the first two; now the focus shifts to 2027,” said Rajput, the former India opening batsman who has coached international sides like India and Afghanistan before coming to the UAE.
He famously was in the coach’s seat when the Men in Blue won the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup – the victory that sparked India’s dominance in the short format and their first world title after the 1983 ODI World Cup. He took over the UAE reins last year from Robin Singh with the ambition of transformation rather than incremental improvement.
That first wave of aspiration comes after a gritty qualifying campaign to make it to the Asia Cup, which was held on home turf when the UAE was selected as a neutral venue for original hosts, India. The UAE team were unfortunately placed along heavyweights India and Pakistan as well as Oman, the team they beat in the group.
The UAE, comprised largely of expatriate players, managed to claim the final spot for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Rather than feel satisfied, Rajput sees that achievement as the beginning of the real work – lifting the squad from hopeful participants to credible competitors.
“It’s not every day that a team like ours gets to feature at a World Cup,” he observed. “This is a huge opportunity for our players to gain exposure – but our aim is not merely participation. We want to compete, and compete well.”
In describing his coaching philosophy, Rajput emphasised the mindset rather than the mechanics. “When I join a new side, my goal is always to take them to the next level,” he explained. “If a player is performing at 50% of his potential, I aim to get him to 70%. I did that with Afghanistan… and with Zimbabwe… I want to achieve something similar with UAE.”
His resumé gives him a certain credibility in this role. He speaks of the UAE assignment not as a job to be completed, but as a foundation to be built. On the cusp of a World Cup appearance, he is already looking ahead. “Our plans will crystallise once we know which group we’re drawn in – India’s or Sri Lanka. We’re focusing on strengthening the middle order and adding versatile all-rounders, which will be vital in subcontinental conditions.”
Asked about his own landmark with India in 2007, he nonetheless framed it as context for his current task. “No one expected us to win,” he recalled. “That victory changed everything. It kickstarted the T20 revolution and transformed how the game is played and viewed.”
For the UAE, a nation still searching for its place on the global cricket map, Rajput wants the self-belief levels higher. Whether that intent will translate into more results remains to be seen.
