WATCH: 19-year-old Chennai-born UAE player Vriitya Aravind smashes 24 runs in final over with 27 to win

Chennai-born Vriitya Aravind almost helped the United Arab Emirates (UAE) snatch victory from the jaws of defeat during the match against Bahrain on Monday, February 21 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 2), Al Amerat. The right-handed batter scored 84 runs off 52 balls with six fours and five sixes and played at a strike rate of 161.54.

While chasing 173, the UAE needed 27 runs to get over the line in the final over. Aravind laid into Shahid Mahmood and almost helped the UAE cross the finishing line. He started the over with two scorching fours, although his team needed a few sixes as well. In the third ball of the over, he picked up a couple and the target was down to 17 off three balls.

Aravind didn’t throw in the towel and smashed Mahmood for two sixes in a row. From being in a hopeless state when the over started, the UAE started believing because of Aravind’s power-hitting. With five runs needed off the last ball, all Aravind needed was a four to at least tie the game. But Mahmood held his nerves in the crunch moment.

Aravind could only muster two runs and Bahrain got away with a two-run victory in the match. Mahmood was expensive as he conceded 48 runs in four overs, albeit he picked up the crucial wicket of Muhammad Waseem at the top.

Here’s the video of Vriitya Aravind smashing the ball around the park

Performance of 19-year-old Vriitya Aravind in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualifier A 2022:

97*(67)
40(29)
84*(52)

UAE need 26 from the final over and he smashed 4,4,2,6,6,2 but lost the match by just 2 runs.pic.twitter.com/UXCBrMt38O

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 21, 2022

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A 2022 game turned out to be a nail biting affair. After opting to bat first, Bahrain racked up a respectable score of 172 for five on the board. David Matihas top-scored for them with an unbeaten 35-ball knock of 46, laced with two fours and three sixes.

Umer Imtiaz also made 42 runs off 40 balls with three fours and two sixes. Haider Butt and Sarfaraz Ali also scored 35 and 32 respectively. The UAE bowlers were erratic as they gave away 12 wides. Thereafter, Aravind tried his heart out, but his effort went in vain.

Chirag Suri looked good for a brief while, scoring 26 off 24 before Sathaiya Veerapathiran accounted for his wicket. Rohan Mustafa scored 41 runs off 31 balls before he was run out. Bahrain skipper Sarfaraz was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with figures of 4-0-24-2.