The United Arab Emirates’ teen sensation Vriitya Aravind has lauded The Abu Dhabi T10 for providing youngsters the global exposure needed to excel in cricket.
The 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who will represent the Pune Devils in the latest edition of The Abu Dhabi T10, feels that playing with the who’s who of the cricketing world is a valuable experience for the rookies.
“I think it is a really good tournament because we can get to play with cricketers from all over the world. A lot of youngsters get a chance to play with big names like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard,” the teenager, who has been swiftly climbing the ranks in the UAE cricket circuit, told The Abu Dhabi T10.
In the latest edition of the tournament, the Pune Devils’ squad features West Indian wicket-keeper batsman Chadwick Walton and Pakistan speedster Mohammad Amir and Vriitya Aravind has not missed an opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from them.
“I try to observe what they do very closely. Whenever they are in the nets, I stay with them. They probably get annoyed,” he chuckled, “but I stay and watch what they are doing and pick some things that will help me in my game.”
Vriitya Aravind was called up by the UAE national cricket team at the age of 17, following his exploits in the under-16 and under-19 side. Although he has played 13 international matches for the senior team, Vriitya Aravind feels playing in The Abu Dhabi T10 will give him an opportunity to cement his place in the UAE squad.
“Our coach will be watching this tournament so if you play well over here, it opens the doors for selection as well as getting into other teams.
“I think it’s a good experience even if you don’t get enough game time. What you learn here, you can use it in your own game. It’s all about the experience,” he added.
The young gun is now juggling between his studies in the United Kingdom and his cricketing duties in the UAE.
“I have gone to Loughborough University in the UK. I’m playing a lot of cricket there as well and whenever UAE calls me, I come back and play with them.”
Currently, in the biosecure bubble for The Abu Dhabi T10, Vriitya Aravind wishes to explore the beaches in Abu Dhabi when the situation improves.
“The beach and The Corniche are really nice and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is of course beautiful. It’d be great if we could go out, though,” he concluded.
