Alishan Sharafu

International career

Alishan Sharafu was born on January 10, 2003. He plays cricket for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national team. Sharafu is known for his strong batting style. He has played in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). His career started at a young age, and he has become a key player for the UAE team. Sharafu has shown his talent in many international matches.

2020

• T20I Debut: Sharafu played his first T20I match on February 23, 2020, against Iran in the 2020 ACC Western Region T20 tournament.
• Under-19 Cricket World Cup: He was part of the UAE team in the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. In the semi-final against Nigeria, Sharafu scored 59 not out and won the Man of the Match award.
• Part-time Contract: In December 2020, Sharafu received a year-long part-time contract from the Emirates Cricket Board.

2021

• ODI Debut: Sharafu made his ODI debut on January 8, 2021, against Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, he tested positive for COVID-19 the next day, which caused a delay in the next ODI match.
• International Growth: Sharafu continued to play for the UAE and became a regular part of the team in both formats.

2022

• Under-19 Cricket World Cup Captain: In January 2022, Sharafu was named the captain of the UAE team for the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.

2023

• T20 World Cup Asia 2023: On October 30, 2023, the UAE team defeated Bahrain in the T20 World Cup Asia 2023 final by 5 wickets.
• Qualification for T20 Cricket World Cup: In November 2023, the UAE team played against Hong Kong, China, and Nepal in the final stage of the T20 Cricket World Cup qualification.

2024

• ACC Premier Cup: Sharafu played a key role in helping the UAE qualify for the 2025 Asian Cup. He was the top scorer for the UAE in the 2024 ACC Premier Cup, scoring 278 runs in six matches.
• ODI Against Namibia: In September 2024, Sharafu played an ODI against Namibia at the United Cricket Club Ground in Windhoek. He scored 31 runs from 26 balls.
• T20I Against Kuwait: Sharafu played a T20I match against Kuwait in December 2024 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. He scored 28 runs from 17 balls.

2025

• ODI Performance: As of May 2025, Sharafu has played 22 ODIs and scored 353 runs, with an average of 18. He has hit 34 fours and 6 sixes. In his most recent ODI match in May 2025 at VRA Ground, Amstelveen, Netherlands, Sharafu scored 32 runs from 41 balls.
• T20I Career: Sharafu has played 31 T20Is and scored 727 runs, with an average of 30. He has hit 77 fours and 28 sixes. His most recent T20I match was against Kuwait in December 2024, where he contributed 28 runs from 17 balls.

Current Rankings

• ICC T20 Batting Ranking: Sharafu is ranked 77th in the ICC T20 batting rankings, with 422 points as of 2025.

Leagues Participation

Alishan Sharafu has participated in several prominent T20 leagues. He played for Sharjah Warriors in the 2022-2023 season and later joined Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

International League T20

Alishan Sharafu has played in the International League T20 for different teams across seasons. Here is a summary of his participation:

Year	Team	Notes
2022-2023	Sharjah Warriors	Played for Sharjah Warriors in the 2022-2023 season.
2023/24	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Joined Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for the 2023/24 season.
2024/25	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Stayed with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for the 2024/25 season.
January 2025	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Won Player of the Match in the 17th match of the DP World ILT20 season, scoring 55 runs to help defeat MI Emirates. His team finished third in the points table.

Domestic career

Alishan Sharafu is an all-rounder from the United Arab Emirates. He started his T20 career with the UAE team on February 23, 2020, against Iran at Al Amerat. His last domestic T20 match was on February 2, 2025, where he played for DC against Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In January 2025, Sharafu was named Player of the Match during a game in the DP World ILT20 season. His team, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, won against MI Emirates by 42 runs. Sharafu scored 55 runs in that match.

Sharafu has become an important player for both his domestic teams and the UAE national team. His dedication and skills have made him stand out in the cricket world.

Records and achievements

Alishan Sharafu has shown his skills with great consistency. Below are some of his key achievements:

• ICC T20 Batting Rankings: Ranked 77th with 422 points.
• ACC Premier Cup 2024: Scored 278 runs in six matches. He helped the UAE team qualify for the 2025 Asian Cup.
• DP World ILT20 (January 2025): Awarded Player of the Match in the 17th match of the season. He scored 55 runs to help his team, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, win against MI Emirates by 42 runs.
• Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020: Named Man of the Match in the semi-final against Nigeria after scoring 59 runs.

Personal life

Alishan Sharafu keeps his personal life private, with only a few details available about him.

Finance:

In 2022, Alishan Sharafu's net worth was estimated at $1.5 million.

Scandals

Sharafu was fined during the second ODI against Nepal for using saliva to shine the ball. This action violated new rules that came into effect in October 2022, and his team received a penalty of five points.

Fans

Sharafu has 21,000 followers on Instagram.