Vriitya Aravind eyes UAE team return after Gulf Giants triumph

Dubai: Vriitya Aravind was the backbone of the UAE batting not so long ago. The 22-year-old showcased his big-match credentials when the UAE won the Qualifier A to secure a place in the first round of the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup in Australia. Aravind was an integral part of the UAE team in both the Twenty20 and One-Day International formats at the time.

However, over the past year, Aravind has moved down the pecking order, with several young faces taking his spot.

Unperturbed by the setback, Aravind kept working on his game and now awaits his chance to return.

“I live in the present and think to control the controllables. What’s in my hand is to score runs and win games for my team. And that’s what’s happened in the last two weeks. So, hopefully, I have put my hand up to get back that No. 3 spot,” Aravind told Gulf News after leading the Gulf Giants Development team to the title in the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament at the ICC Academy on Wednesday.

Tense final

In a tense final, Gulf Giants, who made it to the semi-finals as the fourth team on a better run rate, chased down a challenging target of 186 with one over to spare.

The Giants’ chase was bolstered by Shival Bawa’s dazzling unbeaten half-century and vital contributions from Aravind, Hameed Khan, and Muhammad Saghir Khan, sealing a six-wicket win. Yassir Kaleem’s half-century helped the Pearls post 185/5 earlier in the day, with Alishan Sharafu and Rohan Mustafa also turning in commendable performances that ultimately went in vain.

The Giants’ run chase wavered early at 20/2, with Rohan Mustafa picking up the wickets of Muhammad Irfan and Samal Udawantha. Giants’ captain Aravind then partnered with Bawa for an essential 80-run stand, laying the foundation for a successful chase.

Next season

After playing for two franchises in the DP World ILT20 League last season — MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals — Aravind is now hoping to secure a spot in the league next season. He believes his performance with the Gulf Giants will help him make a strong case in the upcoming auction.

With a combined total of 105 Twenty20 and One-Day International games to his credit, Aravind has a solid track record as a wicketkeeper-batter, particularly in the longer white-ball format. His immediate goal is to focus on his game and reclaim his spot in the national side.

“I’ve managed to play for the UAE while managing my studies over the last three years. I’ve balanced both. Now that I have finished my undergraduate degree, all my focus is on cricket. The goal is to get back into the UAE team, start scoring runs for them, and help them win games again,” said Aravind, who recently had a good run with the UAE Falcons during their tour of Namibia. He extended that run of form in this tournament, scoring two half-centuries with a top score of unbeaten 77 apart from useful knocks as a captain.

“The last two months have been really good for me, with the way I’ve been performing. Of course, selection is not in my hands; I can only do everything within my control. Hopefully, I’ll be part of the UAE squad soon,” he concluded.

Awards and recognitions

Muhammad Saghir Khan won the Player of the Tournament award, while Shival Bawa took home the Player of the Final honours. Raees Ahmed finished as the top scorer of the tournament, amassing 307 runs for the ILT20 Thunderbolts, while Uzair Khan emerged as the leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps for the Pearls.

Brief scores (final):

Gulf Giants Development beat ILT20 Pearls by 6 wickets. ILT20 Pearls 185/5 in 20 overs (Yassir Kaleem 72, Alishan Sharafu 35, Rohan Mustafa 33, Muhammad Irfan 2 for 28, Aayan Afzal Khan 2 for 31, Muhammad Zuhaib 1 for 33). Gulf Giants Development 186/4 in 19 overs (Shival Bawa 63, Vriitya Aravind 34, Muhammad Saghir Khan 33*, Rohan Mustafa 3 for 36, Uzair Khan 1 for 29). Player of the final: Shival Bawa.

Semi-finals:

LT20 Pearls beat Dubai Capitals Development by 4 wickets. Dubai Capitals Development 176/7 in 20 overs (Hafiz Almas Ayub 44, Mayank 38, Adees Usmani 38, Harshit Seth 2 for 15, Uzair Khan 2 for 31) ILT20 Pearls 178/6 in 16.5 overs (Haider Ali 3 for 20, Farhan Khan 2 for 32).

Gulf Giants Development beat ILT20 Thunderbolts by 2 wickets. ILT20 Thunderbolts 216/4 in 20 overs (Raees Ahmed 105, Ronak Panoly 61, Luqman Faisal 27, Zeeshan Naseer 3 for 31) Gulf Giants Development 218/8 (Uzair Haider Mann 49, Hameed Khan 42, Muhammad Zuhaib 33, Umair Ali 3 for 38, Junaid Siddique 3 for 45).