Batsman Ali Mirza has been impressing with his cricket skills since the age of 13 and even represents the UAE under-19 side – but he insists the Red Bull Campus Cricket tournament will test his ability to the limits.

Mirza has his sights set on going all the way in the competition with Heriot-Watt University, who have a rich heritage in the competition with three consecutive victories in the national qualifiers.

“We’ve got a good team and good unity so we’re looking forward to playing and trying to retain our title,” said the teenager.

“It’s the most competitive university tournament we play in, one hundred per cent, which is good because we play to our highest standard.

“I didn’t get the chance to play in the qualifiers last year but I got to play in the finals in Sri Lanka, which was a great experience. I’m looking forward to competing in the whole weekend this time around.”

The 18-year-old puts the team’s previous victories down to the right mix of individuals but whatever happens over the course of the next week, his personal journey in cricket is just beginning.

His ultimate goal is to make it into the professional ranks – and he’s well aware that catching the eye in this particular tournament is a good way to go about it.

“I’m hoping to go on and play senior cricket and I’m hoping we can replicate our previous form and pick up another Red Bull Campus Cricket title this time around,” he added. “We will try our best to score runs and win the tournament again.

“We play in a lot of tournaments so we get to know the competition quite well, so we’ll see some familiar faces but we believe we’ve got a good chance of winning once again.

“We’ve got good unity and a very balanced side, which should give us the edge over our competitors, that’s what’s been working for us the part three years.”