Aryansh Sharma dedicated his first player-of-the-match award in UAE colours to his parents after guiding his side to an overdue win in one-day international cricket.
The national team beat Nepal by five wickets at the ICC Academy. It was just their fourth win in 18 matches in Cricket World Cup League 2 (CWCL2).
They are still a long way adrift at the bottom of the table, but the win was a reminder that they do have the capability to play the game – not least to Aryansh.
The 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has felt the recent frustrations of the national team as acutely as anyone.
In the past few weeks, the UAE have had three important series in the T20 format. That started with a tri-series against Pakistan and Afghanistan. That was followed by the Asia Cup, then the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Muscat.
Aryansh was in the UAE squad for all of that, yet featured in just four of the 22 matches.
His frustrations then turned into dejection in the opening match of the CWCL2 tri-series against the United States, when he fell cheaply after finally getting his chance with the bat.
This time around, though, he made it count. He fell two runs short of making his first century for the UAE, but was still thrilled he had set up the win for his side – and that he had repaid the faith of his dad, Praveen Kumar, and mum, Neelam.
“My first player of the match, I would like to dedicate to my family,” Aryansh said. “They really supported me when I hadn’t scored runs, and was going through a tough period. Without their efforts, I don’t think I would have been here.
“To give a context, having not played 18 of those 22 games, it was hard on me. I was sad, wondering why I wasn’t getting a chance.
“That is the management’s call and I respect their decisions. But the way my parents were backing me. They were saying, ‘Don’t worry, your time will come, and when it does, just try to prove you are a very good player.’ No one can match their support.”
His relief at his match-winning turn offset any disappointment he might have felt after chipping up a return catch to Sandeep Lamichhane, having made 98 from 98 balls.
Although he fell with 39 still to get, a rare victory was in sight for the UAE, and they duly got there with five wickets down, and six-and-a-half overs to spare.
“I have played 35 matches and feel like I should have contributed a lot more,” Aryansh said. “Even when I was batting, I was not looking for my hundred. I was just looking to finish the game for my team. Even when I got to 50, I was not pleased, I was thinking I have to bat long.
“But 98 is still fine, because the team has won. That was the main goal.”
The manner in which the home team chased down the 234 they required was uplifting for more than just Aryansh’s form.
He had not been the only richly talented young opener who had been cut off even before he had started in the previous game against the United States.
Like him, Alishan Sharafu had made just one in that game, before nicking a catch to slip. This time, though, the in form opener set on the Nepal bowlers from the off with a blitz that put the UAE well ahead of the asking rate.
Sharafu, who was the player of the tournament as the UAE sealed qualification for February’s T20 World Cup via the qualifying event in Oman this month, made 45 in just 26 balls at the top of the order.
His opening partner said it was good fun watching from the other end. “It is very easy for me to score runs when he is batting like that because it just releases the pressure,” Aryansh said of Sharafu’s fast start.
“If he keeps batting like that, it is going to make it tough for the other teams. He is playing very well. He was out for 45 in the seventh over. If he had batted for 20 overs, the game was done.
“At that stage, I was not finding the middle of my bat very easily, and I had to take time. In the last game I got out early when I wanted to see out the first 10 overs.
“That was the plan given by the coach. It was not connecting with my bat properly, but once I hit the six off Lamichhane, that is when I got the confidence I could take the innings long.
“Today I learnt how to build an ODI innings. As an opener, 40 or 50 are not good scores, I feel. You have a longer time to score big runs, and this was a template for that.”
