Aayan Khan returned remarkable figures of 4-6 in 10 overs as UAE sealed progress to the ACC Premier Cup semi-finals with a comprehensive win over Bahrain.
The national team became the first side to advance to the last four of the competition following an eight-wicket win against their Gulf rivals in Kathmandu.
The winners of the 10-team tournament will qualify for the Asia Cup, where they will be placed in a group with India and Pakistan.
UAE kept their hopes alive with a demolition of Bahrain, which was brought about by Aayan’s latest virtuoso display with the ball.
The left-arm spinner made his one-day international debut in Kathmandu last November, the day before his 17th birthday.
Like the national team as a whole, he has played much cricket in Nepal in the time since. In particular, he has found conditions in Mulpani to his liking.
His haul against Bahrain, which included 55 dot balls from the 60 deliveries he bowled, followed a five-wicket haul he had taken against Hong Kong at the same ground earlier in the competition.
“On this wicket we knew the ball would spin a lot, and even with the new ball it was spinning,” Aayan said.
“That meant we had to bowl at the stumps, and this is what happened.
“We have been playing [a lot] in Nepal over the past two or three months. This is our third tour here, and we know the ball will spin from the start.
“Us spinners aimed to bowl the ball in line with the stumps and let the batters make a mistake. That way we managed to get them out.”
Bahrain had claimed a shock win over UAE the last time the sides had met, at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Muscat last year. The national team exacted revenge, though, in a format of the game their opposition are unused to.
Bahrain rarely get to play 50-over cricket, and their frailties were exposed by a UAE side who have had a heavy programme of one-day internationals this year.
As well as Aayan’s wonder show, fellow spinners Rohan Mustafa and Karthik Meiyappan took two wickets apiece as Bahrain were bowled out for 116.
Mustafa then continued his fine form with the bat as he reached a half century when he hit the winning boundary, sealing the win with 134 balls remaining.
The all-rounder shared another fine stand with Vriitya Aravind. The duo had a massive partnership worth 275 earlier in the competition.
This time around, their unbroken alliance of 99 carried UAE to victory. In the process, Aravind extended his lead at the top of the run-scorer charts for the competition. He made 428 runs in the four group games, at an extraordinary average of 142.66.
Muhammad Waseem, the UAE captain, is optimistic his side’s good form can continue in the semi-finals, which appears likely to be against hosts Nepal.
“Aayan bowled a very good spell, and Rohan and Karthik bowled very well too,” Waseem said.
“I am very confident in my team and hopefully we can take this momentum into the semifinal.”
