Vriitya Aravind: ‘It’s surreal. I’m aware I’m competing with 1.4 billion fans in India’

A maiden one-day international century before he has turned 20. A player of the tournament award from that time he razed the competition while guiding his country to World Cup qualification.

UAE resultsLost to Oman by eight runsBeat Namibia by three wicketsLost to Oman by 12 runsBeat Namibia by 43 runs

UAE fixturesFree admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv

Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket StadiumFriday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International StadiumSaturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International StadiumMonday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium

And, now, vying for a global award with an Indian Premier League captain who is one of the biggest stars in the sport’s most populous nation.

There are plenty of reasons for which Vriitya Aravind might be excused for getting ahead of himself. If he is, he has a funny way of showing it.

When he went to his first ODI ton, in UAE’s win over Namibia in Sharjah on Saturday, he only coyly accepted the acclaim that was ever-so-deservingly coming his way.

He raised his arms and his bat, first in the direction of his teammates, and then cast a glance up to where his mum and dad were sat in the pavilion. It was a knowing look, which said: “Told you so … and thanks.”

“We went to Namibia but we didn’t have any games,” Aravind said of the UAE’s tour to Windhoek in November, which was aborted because of the onset of the omicron variant.

“I had told my parents I was going to get my first century against Namibia in that series, but it never happened. It was a good feeling to do it against Namibia this time, because I had promised them.

“That is why I looked up at them, to say, ‘Yes, I got there.’”

Despite already being two and a half years in to his