The Qatar National Cricket Team : From Associate Underdogs to Serious Contenders

As we explore the rising players in Asian cricket, the Qatar National Cricket Team is an important one. The team is created by the Qatar Cricket Association, which is an ICC Associate member that has quietly built a team with the potential to surprise other top teams. The team is currently under the leadership of Captain Mohammed Rizlan and Head Coach Mohammad Haroon, and will be the most defining year yet for them as far as their participation in competition goes. While the Qatar team was involved in several tight bilateral series and important World Cup qualifying matches, it has shown us that they are now going beyond just being in these events; they are actually trying to climb into a higher position in the world cricket rankings.

A Tightly Contested Series Against Hong Kong

Qatar showed the world their “fighting spirit” once again in late 2025 when they faced off in a two – game T20I series against Hong Kong. The games were extremely competitive and displayed Qatar’s ability to perform under pressure. When the team successfully defended by six runs on Nov. 12th of 2025, it was clear that Qatar had made a marked improvement in its death bowling. Then, on November 13th, Hong Kong rebounded to take the second game by nine runs. In a 1-1 series tie with a nation like Hong Kong (which has such a rich cricket history), Qatar demonstrated that the distance between Qatar and the top Associate countries is rapidly narrowing.

Success in the World Cup Qualifiers

Qatar has had an outstanding run of results through October 2025 before the Hong Kong series at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier. The qualifier provided Qatar with an opportunity to boost its ranking and build some much – needed confidence. Qatar dominated Samoa by 8 wickets and Japan by 3 wickets. While these two matches may have been somewhat unexpected, the performances showed an increase in batting maturity as both were clinical chase performances. Winning in similar conditions against the likes of Malaysia only helped solidify the team’s growing reputation as a team that can win in tournament conditions.

The Batting Powerhouse

No discussion about Qatar’s rise is complete without mentioning Muhammad Tanveer. He has become the backbone of the team’s batting lineup. Holding the record for the most career T20I runs for Qatar with 1,980 runs, he provides the stability that every Associate team desperately needs. His ability to anchor the innings allows the other batters to play freely around him. Without his consistent scoring, Qatar would struggle to post competitive totals against stronger bowling attacks.

The Bowling Attack Leader

On the bowling front, Iqbal Hussain has emerged as the team’s primary weapon. With 45 T20I wickets at an impressive average of 15.40, he is the man the captain turns to when he needs a breakthrough. In T20 cricket, taking wickets is the best way to stop the run flow, and Hussain does exactly that. His ability to strike in the power play and the middle overs has been a key factor in Qatar’s recent victories, including the close win against Hong Kong.

Battling Against the Big Boys

However, the journey hasn’t been without its bumps. On November 11, 2025, Qatar faced Afghanistan, a full member nation, and lost by 25 runs. While it was a defeat, losing by such a respectable margin against a world – class spin attack shows character. It proved that while Qatar still has work to do to beat the giants, they are not getting blown away anymore. They competed for large parts of the game, which is a victory in itself for a developing side.