How Bihar's Sohaib Khan turned UAE's fortunes around

In March 2025, after India won the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai, Sohaib Khan was busy taking selfies with KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya. Sohaib was not an international cricketer at that time. But in less than a year, at an even bigger stage - the 2026 T20 World Cup - he smashed a 29-ball 51 in a memorable win for UAE over Canada in Delhi.

Before the tournament, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem had said he wanted to add to the team's solitary win at the T20 World Cups. With South Africa and New Zealand being the other teams in their group, this was UAE's best chance. However, expectations also bring pressure, and UAE seemed to be succumbing to that.

After losing the toss in a day-night match, UAE did well to restrict Canada to 150 for 7 on a used pitch. But they found themselves in trouble in the chase. When Sohaib came out to bat in the 13th over, they were 66 for 4. With another 85 required from 7.3 overs, ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster gave them just 15.3% chance of winning.

This was UAE's first international match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. For Sohaib, though, this was his backyard once upon a time. Just 12km from the stadium is the Jamia Millia Islamia university, from where he graduated in sociology in 2019.

Born in Kothi, a small village in the Gaya district of Bihar, Sohaib began his cricketing journey playing tennis-ball cricket. He first played with the cricket ball only in 2014, when he moved to Delhi for studies. Soon, he started making a name in inter-university tournaments. But once he completed his education and went back to Bihar, he could not break into the state's Ranji Trophy team. Eventually, in 2021, he decided to shift to the UAE for better opportunities and made his international debut for them in October 2025.

On Friday, he rolled back the years. Facing only his third ball, he launched left-arm wristspinner Ansh Patel over long-on for a six. Two overs later, he cut a slower delivery from Jaskaran Singh through covers for four. But despite that, he could manage only 16 off the first 13 balls he faced.

UAE needed 56 from the last four overs. Dilon Heyliger started the 17th over with a full delivery, which Sohaib lofted over deep midwicket for a six. Heyliger then pulled his length back, only to be hit over mid-off for four. Two balls later, Sohaib went down the ground again, this time all the way for a six. Heyliger had conceded only 16 from his first three overs; his last went for 17. Suddenly, UAE were back in the game.

Sohaib had the strike for the next over too. Jaskaran, who had won the IPL with Deccan Chargers back in 2009 and was playing the Ranji Trophy for Chandigarh till as recently as March 2022, went around the wicket. The attempt was to angle the ball across and stay away from the right-hand batter's hitting arc. But Sohaib moved towards the off side and slashed the first ball through extra cover for four.

Jaskaran backed himself again and went full and wide. Sohaib went one better and hit him for a straight six. While Jaskaran conceded only three runs in the rest of the over, the momentum had swung.

The penultimate over changed the complexion of the game completely. Aryansh Sharma, the opener who played the anchor's role, hit a couple of fours off Kaleem Sana and Sohaib top-edged one over the keeper's head to reduce the equation to eight needed from the final over.

Aryansh all but sealed the result by pulling Jasakaran's first ball of the over for a six. A single on the next tied the scores. It felt fitting that Sohaib was on strike to hit the winning runs. But he ended up holing out to mid-on. There was no comeback for Canada, though. Muhammad Arfan thumped the following ball over midwicket to take UAE home.

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

"The plan was to target the short straight boundary, and if bowlers pull their length back, then go hard at it. We anyway needed only one six per over."

Until very recently, Sohaib was working as a financial consultant for a stock market company in the UAE. Like most players in the country, he would work during the day and play cricket at night. Once he made his international debut, he left his job and started devoting more time to cricket. His stocks rose when he smashed 63 off 41 balls against India A at the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha in November 2025. And after Friday's innings, they were skyrocketing.