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The pitch set, the floodlights on and players kissing their lucky charms. The world is getting ready to witness cricket at its finest as the sport finds an all-new destination on ZEE5 Global ahead of the inaugural season of DP World International League T20 in UAE starting January 13th at1:15 PM GMT / 6:45 PM IST.Here, the biggest heroes of cricket will face off in an exciting new league to bring viewers nail-biting action straight from the pitch.
The 34-match event will have 6 teams competing to win the coveted DP World ILT20 trophy. The tournament will air LIVE exclusively on ZEE’s 10 linear channels Zee Cinema (SD & HD), ZEE Anmol Cinema, ZEE Thirai, ZEE Bangla Cinema, ZEE Zest (SD & HD), & Pictures HD, &Flix (SD & HD) in English, Hindi and Tamil languages as well as on its OTT platform ZEE5 across India and key global markets including USA, UK, Australia, Canada and others.
The league is set to feature a battalion of some of the biggest international T20 heroes including Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Jonny Bairstow, Rovman Powell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Trent Boult, Chris Lynn, James Vince, Moeen Ali and Dawid Malan amongst many others. These stars will be seen competing against each other in six teams – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals, Desert Vipers, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, and Sharjah Warriors.
Presenting a blockbuster opening ceremony, the league will see a glitzy and electrifying inaugural performance by superstar rapper Badshah. He will set the ball rolling for a scintillating four-week-long high-quality T20 cricket on ZEE5 Global. The widely popular rapper will perform the DP World ILT20 anthem, Halla, which he has produced himself. But the action does not stop there, he will also be joined by Jason Derullo on stage at the opening ceremony.
DP World ILT20’s momentum was set off by swashbuckling cricket legend Virender Sehwag, who is set to bring alive all the pulsating action from the commentator’s box, infusing his signature brand of humour into the league. Furthermore, injecting a shot of adrenaline into the league was superstar Shah Rukh Khan who appeared in the #HarBallBawaal campaign, hinting at the intense action that the league is set to usher, recalling how every ball is expected to be an explosive contest.
The DP World ILT20 tournament will be played under the watchful eyes of distinguished umpires such as five-time ICC Umpire of the Year Award winner Simon Taufel, who will be present with other veterans like Akbar Ali Khan, Alex Wharf, Leslie Reifer, Martin Saggers, Richard Kettleborough, Rod Tucker, Ruchira Palliyaguruge and Shiju Mannil. Simon Taufel and Roshan Mahanama. The match officials will be present across three UAE venues – Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub’s Zayed Cricket Stadium), Dubai (Dubai International Stadium) and Sharjah (Sharjah Cricket Stadium).
At the end of the league, the winning team will be handed the uniquely-designed silver trophy, which honours UAE’s rich heritage and culture. It takes inspiration from UAE’s national bird – the falcon and the nation’s most famous landmark, the Burj Khalifa. It is also embellished by other motifs like a 7-pointed crown, sand dunes, and a cricket ball.
With all this, the stage is set to make DP World ILT20 a differentiated and compelling league in the sports domain.