It would be easy to dismiss the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) showing against India in their Group A clash of the 2025 Asia Cup earlier this week. Under Muhammad Waseem’s captaincy, the side collapsed to the lowest-ever T20I total against India, bundled out for just 57 in 13.1 overs. At first glance - whether from the scorecard or the highlights - it might seem like there was little fight from the UAE. India’s bowlers, led by Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube, completely dominated, paving the way for a commanding nine-wicket win with 93 balls remaining.

However, anyone who followed the match from the very beginning would have seen UAE opener Alishan Sharafu looking in fine touch, showing little trouble against Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah early on.

Sharafu, one of the UAE’s most seasoned batters, began his innings with a couple of runs off the first ball from Hardik. After two dot balls, the 22-year-old signalled his intent by charging down the pitch for a big swing. Hardik responded with a short-of-length delivery, and Sharafu threw his hands at it, getting a thick outside edge that flew over a leaping Shubman Gill at first slip for four.

The challenge stiffened in the very next over when Bumrah came into the attack. Sharafu saw out six deliveries, including a wide, before finally finding relief off the last ball of the over, clipping a stray delivery down the leg side behind square for a boundary.

Days after the Asia Cup 2025 clash at the Dubai International Stadium, Alishan spoke to Hindustan Times about the experience of facing India. As expected, he admitted that taking on Bumrah was a daunting task. The world already knows Bumrah is among the very best, but hearing Alishan break down what makes the pacer so difficult to line up against offered fresh insight.

"I was very confident when I went out there to bat. It was just the case of my wanting to see through the first couple of balls. Fortunately, I got two runs off my first ball, and it made it a lot easier to play the next balls that I played. These guys are such world-class bowlers, so you have to be a little more alert and a little more ready when you are about to play them," said Sharafu.

"Especially someone like Jasprit Bumrah, he has got such a short run-up and he tends to rush you at times. You don't get bowlers who bowl that sort of quality daily, where they are just jogging off a few steps and then bowl at you at 140 clicks. It was an exciting time for me out there. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it," he added.

'Chat with Ryan ten Doeschate'
After negotiating Hardik and Bumrah, Alishan’s next test came against Axar Patel, known for skidding the ball quickly into the stumps. The UAE opener, however, showed no nerves, collecting eight runs off the five deliveries he faced, including a superb six off the final ball of the third over.

It was a stroke of real class, an inside-out lofted cover drive that sailed flat over the ropes, marking the first maximum of the India–UAE clash in the 2025 Asia Cup. But just as he seemed settled, Sharafu was undone by a trademark Bumrah yorker, departing for 22 off 17 balls. That knock, fittingly, stood as the highest score of the UAE’s innings.

The Group A contest wrapped up in under two hours, and as expected, the UAE players made the most of the opportunity, engaging in conversations with their Indian counterparts to learn how to adapt in varied conditions. Alishan, in particular, caught up with India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, who had previously been part of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders’ support staff in the ILT20.

"We did have a bit of a chat with the Indian players. Some of our boys, especially those who are bowlers, had a bit of a chat with some of their spinners on how they approach different batters and different conditions. I personally had a chat with Ryan ten Doeschate because he was our coach at the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the ILT20, so it was great catching up with him after a while," he stated.

Born in Kerala in 2003, Alishan made his UAE U19 debut at just 15. His rise to the senior team was swift, earning a T20I debut against Iran in 2020 at the age of 17. Less than a year later, he stepped into the ODI arena against Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Since then, the right-hander has gone on to represent the UAE in 24 ODIs and 54 T20Is, scoring over 1,600 runs across the two formats.

"My journey started quite young in the UAE circuit. I started playing U-19 cricket when I was just 15. I played U-19 for a couple of years, and then I was called up to make my T20I debut when I was 17. I was then given my ODI debut next year when I was 18. After that, COVID struck, and there was a lockdown for a couple of years. Ever since, the journey has had several ups and downs," he said.

"But I think that's a part of every athlete's career. It just depends on how well you take the failures and how much you are willing to learn, because, like they say in cricket, you have more bad days than good. You still have to take the positives and focus on the things you did well. Leave behind the negatives, but also importantly, you have to reflect back on that and try to improve. You wake up every day looking to get better. It has changed from when I started. It has been a pleasant journey so far. Hopefully, many more years to come and a lot more success for us as a team. Super excited for all of it," he added.