MSD Finisher's Template Inspires Ex-Jamia Student To Guide UAE To Thrilling Win Over Canada

With the chase slipping and scoreboard pressure mounting, inspiration arrived from an unlikely but familiar source for UAE batter Sohaib Khan, the unflappable philosophy of World Cup winning India skipper MS Dhoni. Playing on the biggest stage for the first time, the Gaya-born batter walked in at No. 6 with UAE staring at a steep climb -- 85 required off 45 balls. With Canada's spin attack tightening the screws and momentum firmly against them, the contest appeared to be drifting away.

But Sohaib, who scored 29 ball 51, trusted calmness, a trait synonymous with Dhoni's aka India's Captain Cool's finishing legacy.

Along with Aryansh Sharma he stitched a match-winning 83-run stand to notch a five-wicket win.

"The strategy was quite simple. We were requiring around 12 runs per over. As MS Dhoni says, when you are on the pitch and you are under pressure, just back yourself and stay calm. I was thinking the same," Sohaib said after the match.

"After going in, Aryansh was so confident that his positivity was coming to me, that no, we can do it. From every ball he was like, no, we will do it. We'll do it.

For the 27-year-old, the innings carried layers of personal significance.

The match unfolded in Delhi, the city where his professional cricket journey first took shape during his time at Jamia Millia Islamia University.

"Coincidentally I started my journey from Jamia Mila Islamia University, New Delhi, and all I can say - this was my home where I started professional cricket.

"I played around three to four years from 2014 to 19 and played two consecutive years for North Zone University from Jamia - 2017 and 2018..

A sociology student back then, Sohaib's path to international cricket was anything but linear. Opportunities were scarce, prompting him to move to the United Arab Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic in search of stability and a second cricketing chance.

"I moved to UAE during the COVID pandemic. I was not getting many opportunities here. I was married in 2021. My daughter and my wife were there. My parents were there. I thought this is the game - what I can do my best.

"I have struggled a lot from the past 4-5 years, now if I get this phase then it's okay - what else I can ask from the God..

He works as financial consultant by day and played cricket at night.

"I work as a financial consultant, a salesperson, I worked during the day. And the infrastructure there is such that we play cricket at night and work during the day. So that's what I did. For the last four to five months, I've been playing proper cricket there..

His late start in professional cricket did little to dampen his confidence in pressure situations. Years of tennis-ball cricket and domestic competitions helped as well.

"I started professional cricket very late in 2014. But before that, this situation kept coming up in tennis cricket, when we played red tennis. Even I was playing in North Zone from Jamia.

"So, it was a similar situation. And in UAE, in domestic cricket, I was familiar with the situation. So, I believed that if we can do it before, we can do it again. Out of 10, you can do it 3-4 times when you believe in yourself," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket United Arab Emirates India Cricket Team MS Dhoni T20 World Cup 2026