UAE's current T20I skipper CP Rizwan was born in Tellicherry, Kerala, before his father move to the UAE
The 34-year-old all-rounder returned to India during his late teens to study engineering in Kochi, the capital of Kerala.
He played for Kerala's U-19 and U-23 levels. He moved back to the UAE in 2014 to work as an electrical engineer with Bukhatir Group.
Rizwan made his ODI debut for UAE on January 26, 2019 and T20I debut 5 days later aged 32. He has since played 29 ODIs and 9 T20Is.
In Jan 2021, Rizwan smashed his first and only ODI century to help UAE to a victory over Ireland despite a fightback from Paul Stirling.
The veteran star's fame is not bound to the borders of UAE! He is hailed in Kerala as well, with people putting up banners for him after the century!
During Covid, Rizwan said, "my wife helps me with throw-downs, so I can do something. It is quite a light ball, so we haven’t broken anything.”
He shared a photo on social media, Rizwan wears a Rajasthan Royals T-shirt, and spoke highly of skipper Sanju Samson during IPL's UAE stint.
On August 18, 2022, UAE named CP Rizwan as their new T20I captain, taking over from Ahmed Raza, who will continue to lead UAE in ODIs.