Dubai’s Maxtalent Global Sports Academy might not have reached the finals but a number of their young cricketers impressed in their tour to Oman.

In the fifth edition of the Maxtalent-MCCC Challenge Cup in Muscat, their Under-11 and U-13 teams fell short in the semi-finals.

Although they were unable to get their hands on the trophy, it was a great learning experience for the UAE’s stars of tomorrow.

In the U-11 group, captain Sankalp Sunood led from the front, scoring 203 runs in fours matches  including two half-centuries (93no and 59no). Nine-year-old Suleiman Makhlai excelled with the bat and ball, with 98 runs and nine wickets to his name, including the best match figures of 5-14.

In the U-13 event, captain Jardil Pereira led by example with an unbeaten 112 in one game which saw him finish the tournament with 185 runs, while also taking two wickets. All-rounder Atharava Ghorpade also impressed with 85 runs and a five-wicket haul, while Divij Wadhwa had a high score of 87 runs as well as taking three wickets.

In the U-16 competition, Atharava Inamdar scored 115 runs and took two wickets, while Mukul Jayraj, who flew in after his exams to join the team, hit 68 runs and claimed four wickets.

Head coach Sudhakar Shetty was thrilled with the performances he saw from the youngsters.

“It was a gruelling five-day tour but the players came back with a wealth of experience,” he said.

“They got the chance to handle pressure and showed great character in every match they played. It was a great experience for them.”