Middle-order batter Aarif Sheikh’s major ability in one-day cricket is to anchor an innings and hold the crease. On Wednesday, in Dundee, Scotland, he did exactly that. As a result, Nepal stunned the Netherlands with a five-wicket victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2.

It was a result that left the Dutch shocked. Nepal had already beaten them twice before in ODIs. But this win—Nepal’s first over the Netherlands at a neutral venue in ODIs—was inspired by Aarif’s calm, calculated half-century, the only one in the game, at Forthill Cricket Ground.

Chasing 226, the Rhinos reached the target in 47.1 overs on the back of Aarif's 78 off 99. His fifty came with a six lofted over point off Vivian Kingma in the 40th over, a release shot that defined his measured acceleration. His innings included seven fours and two sixes.

Beyond his time spent at the crease, it is his temperament that makes Aarif unique. Nicknamed ‘Iceman’ for his unflappable demeanour, Aarif played a hot-blooded innings, so to speak, in the cold breeze of Dundee.

Speaking after the match, Aarif said he just executed the role the coach [Stuart Law] assigned him. “Of course, it feels great to contribute to the team. I enjoy this role,” he said. “The coach had asked me to finish the game, but unfortunately, I couldn’t. I’ll look to do that next time if the opportunity comes again.”

Aarif stitched a vital 55-run stand with skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel for the fourth wicket and then followed it with a match-defining 89-run partnership with Dipendra Singh Airee for the fifth.

“It’s a tough place to bat, and we’d already lost two wickets early, which made it trickier,” Aarif added. “We needed partnerships. Once we got through the first 10–15 balls, batting got easier. The pitch is quite good.”

The innings marked Aarif’s eighth ODI half-century in what was his 59th match. It was also his career-best score, surpassing his previous best of 66 against Oman in Houston in 2022. He had an unbeaten 51 against Scotland in Dallas last year, guiding Nepal to a five-wicket win.

Over the last year, Aarif has scored the most runs for Nepal in ODIs—239 runs from seven innings. He is ahead of Paudel (227 in eight matches) and Gulshan Jha (193 in eight). With an average of over 27, he has 1,203 runs in ODIs. Among Nepali players, he is bested only by Paudel (1,813), his younger brother Aasif (1,561) and Kushal Bhurtel (1,363).

“Aarif dai played a composed and classy innings today,” Paudel said after the match. “He assessed the conditions early, and once the moment came, he began to take charge. He is very compact.”

In the current Nepal squad, Aarif is one of the most experienced players, second only to Sompal Kami. He debuted back in 2014 during the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 in Malaysia. One of his former teammates, Gyanendra Malla, now works with the team as an assistant coach.

Aarif’s innings against the Dutch seemed a form of quiet redemption. He was left out of Nepal’s squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies last year, a decision that hurt him deeply. He had vented his frustration on social media, uncharacteristic for someone who usually carries himself with the grace of a consummate professional.

Though a key batter for Nepal, Aarif rarely makes headlines. He remains largely out of the spotlight—quiet, focused, and grounded.

“I don’t pay too much attention to such stuff,” Aarif said, in his typical low-key manner. “Whenever I get a chance, I just try to play well. I want to contribute to every game.”

He added, “The more balls I face, the more I feel I can contribute to winning the match. That’s the only thing I think about.”