The UAE were so dominant in winning the Under 19 Asia Cup qualifying tournament that the last throes of Friday’s final against Kuwait had the feel of a procession.
The 100 or so spectators, who were making an impressive noise in the cavernous, 25,000-seater Dubai International Stadium, did have something to keep them going.
Made up mostly of friends and family of the home team’s players, they were invested in cheering on Karthik Meiyappan to a five-wicket haul.
In the end, the 18-year-old Dubai schoolboy had to settle for 4-32. Plenty good enough for him to be named man of the match in the 90-run win.
But, still, one short of a milestone that has eluded him during the national team’s fine run over the past two weeks, during which time they sealed qualification for both the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
Even without quite the volume of wickets some of his colleagues have managed of late, Meiyappan has marked himself out as one of the brightest prospects in the game here.
Qasim Ali, his coach at the ICC Academy, reckons he is “already one of the best leg-spinners in the country”, while Dom Telo, the UAE Under 19 coach, says he has rare potential.
"Karthik is an extremely exciting young cricketer," Telo said after the side lifted the ACC U19 Western Region trophy on Friday.
“For him, there’s been a period of time where he has bowled really well, yet hasn’t reaped the benefits of it.
“It was something we actually spoke about [before the final]. I said to him, ‘Your time will come. The more you are doing the right things well, and putting the ball in the right area, your luck will change.’
“I’m glad that he got some wickets. Sad that he didn’t get to his five-for, because I know that would have been a confidence booster for him, but he is a very mature cricketer.
“He understands that he is bowling well, and he knows that in time his luck will change. I do see him as a very, very exciting prospect for UAE cricket.”
There once was a time when Meiyappan might have thought his competitive future lay on the chess board, rather than the cricket field.
Born in Chennai in 2000, his family flitted between India, Dubai and Abu Dhabi from 2006. They have lived in Dubai for the past seven years continuously, during which his aspirations to be the next Garry Kasparov have waned, in favour of him trying to emulate Shane Warne instead.
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UAE U19s qualify for 2020 World Cup
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“Living in India, every single kid is used to playing gulley cricket,” said Meiyappan, who is also studying for A-levels in business, accountancy and maths.
“That is the first thing we do in India, so playing one-tip, one-hand is my first memory of playing cricket.
“Then, in my early days, I used to play a lot of chess. Moving to Dubai, I was not exposed to chess over here, so I moved into cricket, and that is how it started.”
Meiyappan is the vice-captain of a UAE U19 side that have won 10 consecutive matches, two trophies, and qualification to two major events over the past month.
He and the captain, Aryan Lakra, share a number of similarities. Both bowl spin, both attend Winchester School Jebel Ali, and both have newly-penned tattoos on their left-forearms.
Like Lakra, who had “Carpe Diem” inscribed on his arm to commemorate qualifying for the World Cup, Meiyappan had ink done in Malaysia. His is an image of an anchor, with “Never give up” written underneath.
“My parents were cool with it,” Meiyappan said. “My mum had one rule, saying it had to be done with my own money.”
On the field, the players are looking forward to testing themselves against the likes of India and Pakistan – twice – within the coming year, and Meiyappan says they are well aware of the opportunity ahead of them.
“So many people want to be in our shoes right now,” he said. “It is a great responsibility we hold playing for the UAE Under 19s, doing something like this. We are the lucky ones who play, and we have to make the most of it.
“It is a one-time opportunity. One big performance could change your life forever.
"Thinking about that, and thinking about the fact there are so many other people who want to be in your shoes, it puts a huge responsibility on yourself.
“I think we have to do justice to it by working hard and doing well out there.”
