Sharjah: K.V. Harikrishnan bags the man of match awards regularly in domestic tournaments.

The 18-year-old Harikrishnan makes sure to excel as a batsman, bowler, fielder and sometimes even as a wicket keeper.

In the Unicorn Saturday League held last week at Ajman Zohra Ground, Harikrishnan, representing Warriors Cricket Club, he hit a match winning 45 runs off 30 balls, took two splendid catches and a crucial wicket against Ronins Ranger to give his team an exciting 18 runs victory.

Earlier, in the GMCA Night Tournament at Skyline University College in Sharjah, representing Royal Cricket Club, he cracked 48 runs from 25 balls, bagged two wickets for 20 runs in three overs by bowling fast and accurately, and also took two brilliant catches for two successive man of the match awards.

Speaking to Gulf News, Harikrishnan, who wants to play international cricket for UAE, said: “I am an all-rounder and since I want to excel in all departments of the game, I work hard on my fitness.”

Harikrishnan’s inspiration are all-rounders Shane Watson and Hardik Pandya.

“After watching Pandya, I realised I do hit hard like him. Two years ago, while playing in the five nations tournament, I hit two sixes that cleared the Sharjah Stadium. I began by playing gully cricket with my uncles from 4 to 7pm and from early days I could hit the ball cleanly,” said Harikrishnan, who has been in the UAE Under 19 team from 2015.

Harikrishnan enjoys wining matches and hence his cupboard is filled with trophies.

In the Sprite Cricket League inter academy tournament, he won the player of the final award, bagged man of the match against Lahore Under-19 team at Ajman Oval. In the popular Skyline inter school tournament in 2015 he received the coveted man of the tournament award.

“I have been playing in the Max Vision inter school tournament from the age of 13 and won the man of match award four times. My first award was for the second best bowler for my school Delhi Private School, Sharjah in the Sandeep Batavia tournament in 2010. Next year I won multiple man of match awards in Palakkad Premier League.”

Harikrishnan is now a student of Manipal University and won the best bowler of the year award from inter university tournaments.

Consistent scores won him a place in the A division Red Flower Tourism team and Web Channel Iktat. He also played for Trivandrum Royals in Malabar Cricket League and has toured Mumbai with Colts Cricket Academy team and Bangladesh for the UAE Falcons team.

Harikrishnan’s best score is his 115 in 53 balls with 18 boundaries and three sixes for Fly Emirates Call Centre against Team Cross Fire in the Ajman Saturday league last year and has produced five wicket spells for Commercial Bank in the Umm Al Quwain Cricket league and in inter university tournaments.

“I learnt my basics of the game from Young Talent Cricket Academy and been to SCC and GMCA academies. My goal is to keep improving and one day play in the Indian Premier League,” he said.