Rayan Khan making a name for himself as he follows in father Khurram’s footsteps in UAE cricket


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

In the decade and a half he spent putting together arguably the finest career yet by a UAE cricketer, Khurram Khan rarely looked flustered.

The all-rounder might have been one of the feistiest competitors the country has ever produced. But when he was at the batting crease, he was seldom anything other than calm and composed.

His move into coaching - and more specifically parenthood - has altered that, though. The former UAE captain’s son, Rayan, is showing great promise in the sport, although his dad often has to watch from behind the sofa.

“When I used to play cricket, when I went out to bat I was as calm as anything,” Khurram said.

“Now when he is batting, I can only watch four or five balls. In the [Under 19] Asia Cup, he played four or five matches here and the only one I could watch was against India.

“I watched the others on TV, because I didn’t have the courage to go and sit there and watch him. For the India game, I came here and sat watching with my wife, and there were always jitters.

“I cannot watch him batting. If he says he played well and scored some runs, I’ll turn on and watch the highlights.”

Happily, son Rayan is taking everything in his stride. Carrying on the family name in a country where his father achieved so much could be a burden. But, despite his youth, he appears to understand the challenges facing him.

Islamabad-born Rayan attended a non-cricket playing school in Sharjah. He became aware of the sport on the sidelines watching his dad as a small child, but only started pursuing it seriously in his mid-teens.

His progress was swift, and at 15 he was selected to play age-group cricket for the UAE.

“It felt good that I got selected so early, but there was a question in my mind, ‘Did I get selected because of my dad, or was it because of my performances?’,” Rayan said.

Former UAE captain Khurram Khan with his son Rayan Khan. Pawan Singh for The National
Former UAE captain Khurram Khan with his son Rayan Khan. Pawan Singh for The National

“But I went on to perform well in the camp, and so those doubts went away.”

Rayan was only eight when his father went off to represent the country for two months at the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

His memories of that are vague, but he says watching his dad inspired a passion for the sport in himself.

“My first memory of cricket was going to The Sevens Stadium in Dubai and watching my dad play when I was nine. I absolutely fell in love with cricket,” Rayan said.

“I used to watch him play and I got motivated to do the same. That is how it started.”

Now he is making his own way in the sport. But he is aware he will be known by some for being the son of the player who as good as single-handedly inspired UAE’s qualification for T20 and 50-over World Cups a little over a decade ago.

“Two or three years ago, when I started playing good matches in A Division cricket, people would come up to me and say, ‘Your dad was one of the best in the UAE’,” he said.

“It is a big deal - the legacy he has in UAE cricket. I realised it was a big thing and that I should be grateful for it.

“It is scary sometimes when I go out to bat and I have to live up to his legacy and the expectations of it.

“But it is good because he can give me some good advice after all the years he has played. He has plenty of experience, so he can help me out. That is better for me.”

Tuition is, after all, Khurram’s day job now. After juggling his own playing career with a job with Emirates Airline, he is now a coach at Sharjah Cricket Academy.

It is scary sometimes when I go out to bat and I have to live up to his legacy
Rayan Khan

He says Rayan is more advanced than he was at his age. There is a good reason for that: Khurram played nothing more than tape-ball cricket before attending university, and was nearly 30 by the time he started out on international cricket with the UAE.

“I am coaching now, and there is the risk you always judge everybody at your standards,” Khurram said.

“But he is young. He started playing cricket at nine or 10, and he is only 18. I hadn’t even started playing cricket at 18; I started at university. He has a long way to go, but he is learning very fast.

“When somebody in your family has played cricket and you are living with that, obviously there is a positive side to it.

“There is also pressure. Whatever happens, every time he comes back I will talk him through his batting. If I have seen him batting I will ask what he was feeling, if he was feeling confident, and ask him to talk me through his innings.

“He will have that sort of pressure. He will know if he has got out in a certain way I will ask him about it, but there is always pressure.”

For all the wisdom his dad can impart, Rayan’s ambitions are his own. He has already had some noteworthy achievements, too, most obviously when he made a half-century against Pakistan in the U19 Asia Cup last winter.

He knows only performances, rather than a family name, will get him to where he wants to go. And that is the very top with the UAE senior men’s team.

“Being in the UAE, one of the biggest dreams is to help make UAE a Test nation,” Rayan said.

“You also want to make the ILT20 and play in T20 leagues. If you perform well in one, there is scope for you to play in more. If you play in three or four, you can make a big name for yourself.”

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A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

DUBAI WORLD CUP CARNIVAL CARD

6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m

7.05pm UAE 1000 Guineas Listed $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.40pm Dubai Dash Listed $175,000 (T) 1,000m

8.15pm Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions $100,000 (D) 1.900m

8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m

9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m

 

The National selections

6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold

7.05pm Final Song

7.40pm Equilateral

8.15pm Dark Of Night

8.50pm Mythical Magic

9.25pm Franz Kafka

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

The five stages of early child’s play

From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:

1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.

2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.

3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.

4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.

5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.

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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham (Alli 61'), Davies (70')
Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

BlacKkKlansman

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver 

Five stars

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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Schedule
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How Apple's credit card works

The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.

What does it cost?

Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.

What will the interest rate be?

The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts

What about security? 

The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.

Is it easy to use?

Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision. 

* Associated Press 

Why your domicile status is important

Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.

Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born. 

UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.

A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Updated: July 30, 2025, 4:00 AM