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The captains and a senior player representing all six franchises of DP World ILT20 teams spoke ahead of the inaugural match of the DP World ILT20 between the Dubai Capitals and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on January 13, 2023, scheduled to begin at 8:15 pm and broadcast only on Zee Network and its OTT platform ZEE5
The captains and senior player representing all six DP World ILT20 League franchises discussed the tournament’s inaugural edition today. Representing Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) was captain Sunil Narine, whilst Desert Vipers (DV) was represented by Captain Colin Munro, Captain James Vince was present for Gulf Giants (GG), Captain Rovman Powell was present for Dubai Capitals whilst senior player Dwayne Bravo represented MI Emirates (MIE) and representing Sharjah Warriors was Captain Moeen Ali.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Captain of ADKR, Sunil Narine, said “Anything you do in T20 cricket as you know is very challenging, you just must adapt, have fun and know it is going to be an enjoyable four to five weeks of the tournament.”
Rovman Powell is excited to lead the Dubai Capitals in the inaugural edition of the DP World International T20 League and said, “I am looking to captain Dubai Capitals not just from a personal standpoint but also from a team and a franchise standpoint. It’s a good chance for the UAE players to showcase the talent they have got. The DP World ILT20 is a good launching pad for them and hopefully they’ll utilize this opportunity.”
James Vince, Captain Gulf Giants commented, “I am lucky enough to play with so many of my teammates, we are still getting to know some of them. We have a practice game this evening. Some of the senior guys in our team are very familiar with playing franchise cricket across the globe and the youngsters here are familiar with the conditions. We are excited to see the tournament get underway. Every team has good talent and I’m looking forward to seeing the teams play against each other.
Representing MI Emirates, T20 veteran Dwayne Bravo added, “It’s important for me to pass on whatever knowledge that I have about the game to my teammates and develop the next generation of cricketers. This is a short tournament, but it’s going to be a competitive one.
Colin Munro, Captain Desert Vipers added, “Just look at the balance of our team, I think the challenge for me as a captain is to fit in all those remarkable players in the playing eleven. But I just want all my boys in our squad to enjoy their cricket and their time here in the UAE. With this experience, they will get better in their cricket and gain so much from this and that is all that I can ask for.”
Sharjah Warriors, Captain, and ICC 2019 CWC winner Moeen, said “We’ll look to play some good cricket and we are here to win. We want to do well particularly in Sharjah since it’s our home ground. We are looking forward to enjoying our cricket.”
A professional franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament DP World ILT20 consists of six franchise teams, comprising over 100 International and 24 UAE-based players, competing in a 34-match event, DP World ILT20 combines two of the most compelling aspects of global sport – world class infrastructure coupled with the most favorable time zone catering to cricket fans around the world including South Asia. Franchise teams include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Knight Riders Group), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global). DP World ILT20 has received multi-year ICC approval. Full schedule of the tournament fixtures can be found here.
The opening match will see Dubai Capitals captain Rovman Powell carrying over his excellent form in franchise cricket and lead the team to victory with a world-class team including Joe Root and Dasun Shanaka. The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have the lethal T20 duo of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell along with the consistent Jonny Bairstow. Both teams are closely matched and the action from this clash is bound to entertain cricket lovers everywhere. One of these six teams will etch their names in the history books by winning the inaugural matchup of the tournament and giving their team a crucial win in the DP World International T20 League.