{
  "id": 15155968,
  "title": "UAE spin star Suraksha Kotte on World Cup dream and playing on to honour her late father",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/uae-spin-star-suraksha-kotte-on-world-cup-dream-and-playing-on-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-17T08:25:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/cricket/2026/10/17/uae-spin-star-suraksha-kotte-on-world-cup-dream-and-playing-on-to-honour-her-late-father/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Suraksha Kotte, a standout player for the UAE women's cricket team, expressed her pride in her family and the opportunity to compete at a higher level. During the DP World Women's Asia Cup, she took three wickets for 11 runs in just four overs against Bangladesh. Despite the UAE falling short in the run chase, Suraksha's performance showcased the growing talent within the team. Born in 2004, Suraksha began her cricket journey at a young age, inspired by her late father, Sudheer, who was a passionate cricket fan. After his passing in 2021, the family faced challenges, but they managed to overcome them, with her mother finding employment and Suraksha and her brother continuing their education. Now 23, Suraksha has transitioned to a successful career as an associate project manager for Oracle, while her brother works for Nissan. Her dedication to cricket remains strong, driven by her father's unwavering support. Suraksha and her teammates view themselves as a close-knit family, with shared experiences and a collective dream of qualifying for the World Cup. They aim to gain more exposure by playing against higher-ranked teams more frequently to achieve their goals.",
  "summary": "When the UAE women’s team were on the brink of their finest win to date, at the start of last month, their outstanding player might have been thinking to herself: “I’m glad I stuck with this.” And, perhaps, how proud her dad might have been. The national team had Bangladesh pinned down in the Women’s Asia Cup at Dubai International Stadium. They needed to win to advance to the knockout stage of…",
  "key_points": [
    "Suraksha Kotte takes three wickets for 11 runs against Bangladesh",
    "23-year-old cricketer inspired by late father Sudheer",
    "UAE team aims to qualify for World Cup by playing more against top teams"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "UAE spin star Suraksha Kotte on World Cup dream and playing on to honour her late father",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/uae-spin-star-suraksha-kotte-on-world-cup-dream-and-playing-on-to-15159552",
        "published": "2026-10-17T08:25:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}