Vriitya Aravind is only 19 years old. He is missing university lectures to play for UAE at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Oman. It must be hoped he has years of representative cricket for the country left in him.
In which case, Ahmed Raza, the national team captain, is going to need a thesaurus. “I don’t have any more superlatives for him now,” Raza said after the teenage wicketkeeper dragged UAE into the Qualifier semi-finals via a dramatic final pool-match against Bahrain. “He is just a special kid.”
On Tuesday, the national team will go up against familiar rivals Nepal. The winners will earn a place in the final of the eight-team qualifier. More importantly, victory carries with it a place at the World Cup in Australia in October.
Right up until the final over of their run-chase against Bahrain, their unheralded Gulf neighbours, it appeared as though their hopes of a trip to the big show had been extinguished.
With six balls left of their final pool game, they needed 27 to win. More vitally, they required 12 to get them into the last four, with their student wicketkeeper on strike.
Aravind laced the first two balls from Shahid Mahmood for four. He scurried two with Mohammed Usman off the third. Then progress was sealed off the next.
“I wasn’t looking at the 12 - I was trying to win the game,” Aravind said of his final-over game plan.
“I felt like I played a bit too slow, which was why the team was in this situation. So I was thinking, 'Let me try and win this for the team'. It went six, four, double, and there was two centimetres in it at the end.”
Had the last ball not been hauled in by the boundary fielder, it would have gone to a Super Over. As it was, Bahrain won by two, but UAE still advanced.
“That was one of the most intense games I’ve ever played,” said Aravind, who finished on 84 not out from 52 balls.
“Our whole qualification dream was on this game. We had to win. I’m not happy because we lost, but we live to fight another day now. Hopefully, [Tuesday] is our day.”
Aravind is the leading run-scorer in the tournament so far, with 221 runs at a strike-rate of 149.32.
“The form he has shown over the past few weeks has been amazing,” captain Raza said.
“He was pretty gutted he couldn’t get us over the line. He realises that, and he is only a 19-year-old kid. He is going to learn from this.
“Some of the options he took in the middle overs, he might not do in the future. At the end, he nearly got us over the line. He played brilliantly.”
Defeat meant UAE were beaten to top spot in the group by Ireland, who were comfortable winners over Germany on the adjacent field at the Oman Cricket Academy. The Irish face hosts Oman in the semi-finals.
Nepal are the only unbeaten side left in the tournament, after they easily overcame Canada by eight wickets in their afternoon game.
UAE and Nepal have met four times in T20 internationals, with wins divided evenly between them. They met as recently as Saturday, February 12, when UAE won a warm-up match before this tournament by 25 runs.
Sandeep Lamichhane, who was named player-of-the-match against Canada after he took three for 12 from his four overs of leg-spin, is satisfied with his side’s form ahead of the decisive fixture.
“The best is yet to come from all the boys,” Lamichhane, Nepal’s captain, said.
“It is about one more big effort from the boys [on Tuesday]. Everyone is pumped up. It has been a very good journey in the round-robin games.
“We are just looking forward to it. Whoever copes best with the pressure and adjusts to the conditions will be the winner.”
Pictures from the T20 clash between the UAE and Bahrain can be seen in the gallery above. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Naga
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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