Who is Aayan Khan? 5 things to know about the all-rounder who spun UAE to victory over New Zealand

UAE recently created history by beating New Zealand for the first time in international cricket. They achieved this feat at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on 19th August 2023 when they defeated the Kiwis by a margin of seven wickets in the second of the three T20Is.

The three-match series is level 1-1 with the final T20I to be played today, i.e. on 20th August 2023.

One of the architects of the said victory was the spinner Aayan Khan, who picked up three Kiwi wickets in his spell during the second T20I. On that note, here are five things to know about the UAE all-rounder:

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#1 Aayan Khan was born in Goa, India

The young UAE all-rounder was born in Goa on 15th November 2005. His family had to be relocated to Sharjah when he was a toddler as his father was employed there.

Khan has his roots in Borda, Margoa, and is the eldest of two children belonging to a middle-class family.

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#2 Belongs to a family that loves cricket

Aayan's father Afzal has always been passionate about the game of cricket. During his younger days, Afzal played cricket for Goa. Since relocating to the UAE, Afzal continued playing cricket on weekends and pursued his passion for the game.

Aayan's sister Afsa is also an upcoming young cricketer and would look to replicate her brother's success and play international cricket.

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#3 Youngest ever cricketer to play in Men's T20 World Cup

Aayan Khan has the distinction of being the youngest cricketer to play in a T20 World Cup. He achieved this feat against the Netherlands on 16th October 2022 at the GMHMA Stadium in Geelong.

He picked up a solitary wicket in three overs and conceded 15 runs in the said game. UAE, however, lost the game by a margin of three wickets.

Since then, Aayan has made a name for himself, and the teenager is a regular member of the UAE team in both ODIs and T20Is.

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#4 Impressive start to his international career

Aayan Khan is just 17 but he has made a name for himself in international cricket. At a young tender age, he has picked up 32 ODI wickets at an average of 27.34 and at an impressive economy rate of 3.86.

In T20Is, he has picked up eight wickets in 10 matches at an average of 18.62 and an exceptional economy rate of 5.73.

With the bat, he averages 28.12 in 22 ODI innings. Thus, Aayan has had an impressive start to his international career and his left-arm orthodox spin seems to be improving with every outing.

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#5 Displayed his skills during the U19 World Cup 2023

Aayan Khan came to the limelight during the U19 World Cup 2023. In 5 innings with the bat during the said tournament, he scored 146 runs, including a match-winning innings of 93 against West Indies U-19.

Khan is a budding all-rounder and with more international exposure, he is likely to get better and make a name for himself on the big stage.