For those looking to break into the professional ranks, there’s no better place to learn the game than Red Bull Campus Cricket, according to UAE Under-19 star Rahul Bhatia.

The left-arm spin bowler is aware of what the tournament has done for previous players who have gone on to the professional game, and is looking to emulate their success.

“People from around the world play in this tournament so I’m excited about it for sure,” Bhatia told Sport360°. “I played last year too and it’s highly competitive. The whole experience is more like an international tournament, it has a very professional feel to it.

“It’s a great stepping stone for players looking to play in the senior international sides, a lot of players from South Africa have gone on to do so from playing in Campus Cricket. Hopefully for me, this will be a good stepping stone as well”.

Bhatia studies at Heriot-Watt University, the previous champions, but insists the recent successes aren’t adding any pressure this time around.

“We’ve been successful as a university in the past so we’re hoping to make it to the finals and see what happens, but I don’t feel any pressure, we just go out and enjoy the experience and go from there,” he added.

“The ultimate goal for me is to play professionally and this is certainly a good tournament to play in at this stage, I think it’s the best out there.”