Vriitya Aravind’s quiet resurgence personifies UAE’s return to form

Young wicketkeeper playing a key role in national team’s push for a pace at Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Vriitya Aravind has been superb with the bat during the UAE's recent matches in Namibia. JW Prinsloo for The National

While Asif Khan has unquestionably been the headline act in the UAE team’s rebirth over the past three weeks, he has had the backing of a strong support cast.

The 33-year-old batter has announced himself as an international cricketer of substance with two centuries and a 96 in the space of the past five matches.

Records have tumbled in the process, and it has helped revive his side, who are now one win away from securing one-day international status, and potentially advancing to the Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

In each of the matches in which Asif made his mark so vividly, Vriitya Aravind posted scores of 94, 57 and 93 not out, often largely unnoticed because of the pyrotechnics at the other end.

When Asif made the fastest century ever by an Associate cricket, his 41-ball effort against Nepal in Kathmandu, Aravind was his partner in a stand worth 135.

When Asif made 96 against Namibia on Sunday, it was again in harness with the young wicketkeeper. This time they put on 160.

Given they dovetail so well together, it was a surprise their alliance in the victory in Windhoek was curtailed by a miscommunication when running between the wickets, leaving Asif four short of his century.

“We have played a lot of domestic games together in Ajman, so we know how to play,” Aravind said.

“It was unfortunate he got run out. That was the only negative. I love batting with Asif. He knows my game and I know his, and I think we complement each other.

“In the game against Nepal, I was on 80 and he was on 20. He got a hundred and I was still in the 80s. He knows I will give him strike and back him to do his thing, and it works out pretty well for us.”

Aravind acknowledged he does sometimes feel the urge to try to match Asif’s strike rate. He says batting with him, though, has aided his own return to form.

“It makes my job easier,” Aravind said. “For the past couple of months I haven’t been scoring the runs that I was doing last year. Coming off that phase, I have now started scoring again.

UAE beat Namibia in crucial ODI

The UAE's Asif Khan on his way to a score of 96 off 86 balls in the 28-run victory over Namibia in a World Cup Qualifier Play-off match in Windhoek on April 2, 2023. All photos: JW Prinsloo for The National

Vriitya Aravind made 93 not out.

UAE captain Muhammad Waseem bats on his way to a total of 23.

UAE bowler Karthik Meiyappan took one wicket for 41 runs.

The UAE team huddles.

The UAE's Rohan Mustafa bowls.

Sanchit Sharma took one wicket for 23 runs.

Vriitya Aravind keeps wicket.

Sanchit Sharma bowls.

Aayan Khan bowling.

Rohan Mustafa celebrates taking a wicket - he took three for 34.

Aayan Khan celebrates a wicket. He finished with 2 for 23 runs.

“It means I can try to spend time at the crease and take singles when these guys are doing all the six-hitting.

“Sometimes I do get tempted and want to show my muscle as well, and show some authority. But at the end of the day it works out well. If he can hit five sixes out of the ground, it works out well for us.”

Having made 267 for five against Namibia, the tourists knew their fate could be largely dependent on getting Gerhard Erasmus’s wicket early.

The Namibia captain is arguably the leading batter in Associate cricket, having topped the run-scoring charts in Cricket World Cup League 2, which preceded this tournament.

Erasmus did offer a chance when he was on nought after just three balls, but Aravind dropped it. The 20-year-old keeper made no mistake when his rapid glovework saw Erasmus stumped when on 30, off the bowling of Aayan Khan.

“I dropped Erasmus before that, which was massive pressure,” Aravind said. “I didn’t like that. He is the main batsman, the wicket we all look for. As he was spending more time at the crease I was thinking, ‘I can’t make any more mistakes, I have to be on the spot.’

“He just slipped forward, and couldn’t get back inside the crease. That was a game-changing moment. As long as he was there we knew he could take the game deep, and him and [Ruben] Trumpelmann could come and do some damage at the end.

“It was relief. I was thinking, ‘Thank God.’ We have been having good days, and I didn’t want this one to go bad and me be the one messing it up.”