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NEW DELHI: With the chase slipping and scoreboard pressure mounting, inspiration arrived from an unlikely yet 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 facing a daunting task, 85 needed off 45 balls.

Also READ: Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq reveals the MS Dhoni connection that changed his career

Canada’s spinners were tightening the screws, momentum firmly against the batting side, and the contest appeared to be drifting away.

But Sohaib, who struck a 29-ball 51, leaned on calmness — a trait synonymous with Dhoni, India’s ‘Captain Cool’, and his finishing legacy.

Match-Winning Stand Turns the Tide

Partnering Aryansh Sharma, Sohaib stitched together a decisive 83-run stand that flipped the game on its head and sealed a five-wicket victory.

"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.

A Homecoming with Deep Roots

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

The match was played in Delhi — the city where his professional cricket journey first began during his days 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..

From Struggle to Second Chance

A sociology student at the time, Sohaib’s path to international cricket was anything but straightforward. Limited opportunities forced him to move to the United Arab Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic in search of stability and a second shot at the game.

"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..

Balancing cricket with work, Sohaib built his routine around night matches and day jobs.

"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..

Despite a late start in professional cricket, pressure situations never fazed him, shaped by years of tennis-ball cricket and domestic experience.

"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.

(With PTI Inputs)