Alishan Sharafu is learning from the best and using it to make UAE better

Alishan Sharafu, 22, has lived almost all his life in the UAE. But the love of cricket began in Kerala, when he would visit family in the summers. As he grew older, he naturally gravitated towards the game without really knowing if he could make a career out of it.

Nearly 15 years after he first started playing, Sharafu is one of UAE's batting mainstays, and has grown into a valuable retain-worthy local talent in the ILT20, where he represents Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

In UAE's Asia Cup opener against India, Sharafu was their top scorer in an otherwise forgettable batting performance. What he is unlikely to forget is the range of shots he displayed - backing away to smash Axar Patel inside-out over cover for six, or whipping Jasprit Bumrah off his hips. It's the confidence from those shots that he is hoping to carry forward when UAE play gulf-rivals Oman on Monday.

"My first memory of cricket was the 2011 World Cup," he tells ESPNcricinfo. "I was supporting India, obviously, and they went on to win it. It was Sachin's [Tendulkar] last World Cup, and that was the point where I wanted to play the game. That was when cricket became a passion."

Today, that passion has allowed him opportunities to face Sunil Narine in the nets, and train and learn from Andre Russell and Phil Salt, among others. And in the UAE, such exposure is gold.

"Every game is a big opportunity," Sharafu says. "Because there are only two local players in the XI [at ILT20], you never know how many chances you'll get. Maybe just one in the whole season. So you have to do well. Fortunately, I played every game in my first season [2024], which was a privilege. You learn from the best - just watching how they go about their game."

For Sharafu, while cricket continues to be the priority, he has ticked off another box along the way on his parents' insistence. He has completed a degree in cyber security, even though he is fairly certain he won't have to use it anytime soon.

"Initially, my mom was a little skeptical about cricket, because for every parent, education comes first," he says. "But once I started playing international cricket, she understood. I think I did okay to manage both. I met her expectations, whatever she wanted. But yeah, it was difficult once I got to university. I had to do both. There was no option."

But pulling off balancing acts isn't new for Sharafu. When he was 15, he broke into the UAE Under-16s and Under-19s the same year, all while managing high school. He made his T20I debut at 17 and ODI debut at 18, in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Sharafu was first spotted by Knight Riders at a trial and picked by Ryan ten Doeschate, the franchise's then coach who is currently assistant coach of India. Sharafu was shortlisted for his ability to take the bowlers on right from the outset.

"I don't know where it comes from," he says of his fearlessness. "But I've always liked taking bowlers on. That's how I've always wanted to bat. Even as a kid, I just loved hitting sixes."

For the past two seasons at the ILT20, Sharafu says he's learnt "something school or university doesn't teach you".

"Andre Russell is one I always watch. I asked him about how he hits sixes consistently, what his secret is," Sharafu says. "With Narine, he's probably one of the calmest and smartest cricketers I've seen. He just reads the game one step faster. Even batting with Phil Salt, he told me a few small things that could help my game. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, but just having those conversations is special."

Asked of his biggest improvements since playing in the ILT20, he says, "I think my batting evolved after last season with Knight Riders. Even though you're the same player, playing alongside guys like Russell and Narine just gives you confidence. Once you have that validation, you take that confidence into the UAE team too. It's 80% about how you feel. And I think that experience has added another gear to my batting."

That improvement has been visible in his ability to alter between roles. "I've always been a top-order batter, but I'm also adjusting to batting in the middle. If we lose early wickets, I know I have to stabilise the innings and take it deep. If we're going well, I just go in and bat with freedom. The clarity from the team management has been excellent."

Off the field, Sharafu likes to unwind watching football, playing FIFA on PlayStation, or just relaxing by a pool or a beach. His cricketing ambition is a lot more focused: "Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I'd like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That's what I want to be known for."

This drive, Sharafu says, comes from his dad for all the sacrifices he has had to make. "From when I was 10-15, every Friday and Saturday, he'd take me to training and games, sit at the ground, pick me up, drop me back. He's a very passionate supporter, sometimes hard on me too, but I think that's where I get it from."

At 22, Sharafu is still very much work-in-progress, but he carries the confidence and drive of someone who has clarity on what he wants to do.