‘I love chasing, too’: Tanish Suri imitates hero Virat Kohli in UAE win over Sri Lanka

He’s got the earring. He’s got the exhaustive repertoire of shots. He’s got the mix of swagger and composure. He loves a run chase. And he was even born in Delhi.

On Monday, Tanish Suri made his first notable mark on international cricket, too, as he played the innings which brought about the UAE’s milestone win over Sri Lanka in the Under 19 Asia Cup.

Clearly, he is a few achievements behind his hero just yet. But, in the form of Virat Kohli, he has certainly picked a decent role model.

“I love him,” Suri said, after doing a passable impression of the India great while making 75 in the UAE’s two-wicket win over the Sri Lankans. “I try to implement what he does in my technique, and I love chasing.”

The win over Sri Lanka leaves the UAE in with a shot at qualification for a potential semi-final against either India or Pakistan.

If they beat Japan on Wednesday, and Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka, they will definitely advance. They could still do so if they beat Japan and Sri Lanka overcome Bangladesh, but it will be dependent on net run rate.

They would already be as good as guaranteed a place in the last four had they not faltered when chasing a similar target against Bangladesh to that which they achieved in beating Sri Lanka.

Tellingly, Suri’s stay was only brief against Bangladesh. Against the Sri Lankans, he was noticeably more measured, as he hit four fours and three sixes in his 88-ball stay.

“In the last game against Bangladesh, I had a flurry [of shots] at the start,” said Suri, who dovetails cricket with studying accounting and finance at Heriot Watt University in Dubai.

“I had a word with my coaches, and I’d like to thank them. They told me to play it a little safer, keep the shots along the ground, and take it deep.