Young all-rounder Ayaan Khan living his dream

DUBAI: Adani’s Gulf Giants bowling all-rounder Ayaan Khan has made a name for himself in the ongoing DP World International T20 League (ILT20) at a young age.

The 17-year-old is relishing his time in the Gulf Giants camp and is looking forward to hone his skills further and learn from the best in the game.

The slow left-arm orthodox bowler made his T20I debut in September 2022 for hosts UAE against Bangladesh.

Speaking about his experience in the ILT20 and playing for Adani Gulf Giants, Ayaan said, “It’s a great achievement for me and for my family for me to be a part of this mega league. We have performed really well so far and I hope we can go all the way and lift the trophy.”

The Adani Gulf Giants team has the likes of James Vince, Shimron Hetmyer and Chris Lynn among others.

Asked about his relationship with his team-mates, Ayaan spoke highly of them. “Over the last couple of weeks, I interacted with Tom Banton a lot as he was with me during the T10 League as well. It’s not just during on-field, I speak to him off-field as well. I try and learn from his experience and inculcate the same in my game and become a better player.”

Talking about his favourite memory in the ongoing ILT20 and playing for Adani Gulf Giants, the teenager said, “All of the players are helpful and are always ready to support you. It’s been a fantastic experience playing for Gulf Giants.”

The Goa-born teenager broke Mohammad Amir’s record and became the youngest to play in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He was just 16-years-and-335-days old. Speaking about his experience on playing at a global level and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the sport, Aayan said, “It was an amazing experience playing in Australia. Playing an international tournament like the ICC T20 World Cup at such a young age was a dream come true under the leadership of Robin Singh as our coach and CP Rizwan as our captain.”

“Playing with the likes of Ahmed Raza and Rohan Mustafa was an enriching experience for me. I have looked up to these players during my childhood days. Raza gave me tips about spin bowling and how I can get better, while also working on the attitude towards the game. It feels surreal to be part of the team as he is,” he added.