New Delhi, February 13 With the chase slipping and the pressure mounting, inspiration came from an unlikely but familiar source for UAE batsman Sohaib Khan, the unflappable philosophy of World Cup-winning India captain MS Dhoni.
Playing on the biggest stage for the first time, the Gaya-born batsman walked in at No. 6 with the UAE staring at a daunting task – 85 required off 45 balls.
With Canada's spin attack tightening the screws and momentum firmly against them, the contest appeared to be slipping away.
But Sohaib, who scored 51 off 29 balls, trusted calmness, a trait synonymous with Dhoni's, also known as India's "Captain Cool," finishing legacy.
Along with Aryansh Sharma, he stitched a match-winning 83-run stand to achieve a five-wicket victory.
"The strategy was quite simple. We needed around 12 runs per over. As MS Dhoni says, when you are on the pitch and you are under pressure, just believe in yourself and stay calm. I was thinking the same," Sohaib said after the match.
"After going in, Aryansh was so confident that his positivity was coming to me, that yes, we can do it. From every ball, he was like, yes, we will do it. Yes, we will do it.
For the 27-year-old, the innings carried layers of personal significance.
The match unfolded in Delhi, the city where his professional cricket journey first took shape during his time at Jamia Millia Islamia University.
"Coincidentally, I started my journey from Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, and all I can say is – this was my home where I started professional cricket.
"I played around three to four years from 2014 to 19 and played two consecutive years for North Zone University from Jamia – 2017 and 2018.
A sociology student back then, Sohaib's path to international cricket was anything but linear. Opportunities were scarce, prompting him to move to the United Arab Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic in search of stability and a second cricketing chance.
"I moved to the UAE during the COVID pandemic. I was not getting many opportunities here. I got married in 2021. My daughter and my wife were there. My parents were there. I thought this is the game – what I can do my best.
"I have struggled a lot from the past 4-5 years, now if I get this phase then it’s okay – what else I can ask from God.
He works as a financial consultant by day and played cricket at night.
"I work as a financial consultant, a salesperson, I worked during the day. And the infrastructure there is such that we play cricket at night and work during the day. So that's what I did. For the last four to five months, I've been playing proper cricket there.
His late start in professional cricket did little to dampen his confidence in pressure situations. Years of playing with tennis balls and domestic competitions also helped.
"I started professional cricket very late in 2014. But before that, this situation kept coming up in tennis cricket, when we played red tennis. Even I was playing in North Zone from Jamia.
"So, it was a similar situation. And in UAE, in domestic cricket, I was familiar with the situation. So, I believed that if we can do it before, we can do it again. Out of 10, you can do it 3-4 times when you believe in yourself," he added.