Dubai [UAE], January 10 (ANI): The stage is set for the highly anticipated return of the International League T20 Season 3, promising to mesmerise cricket fans across the globe. The action will begin on Saturday.
The season will begin with a thrilling clash between reigning champions MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals in a rematch of the Season 2 final, at the Dubai International Stadium, a press release by ILT20 stated.
Following two spectacular seasons, this year’s ILT20 is primed to be bigger, bolder, and more exhilarating than ever before.
Ahead of the month-long cricketing spectacle, captains from five of the six franchises and inaugural season champions Gulf Giants fast bowler Tymal Mills gathered to outline their expectations for the season ahead, fuelling excitement for what promises to be an unforgettable tournament.
ILT20 Tournament Ambassador Shoaib Akhtar said, “This season, the DP World ILT20 is larger than ever before, the kind of colours and hard work that went into it last year was amazing. It’s good to see people tune in and engage with the tournament. I’m sure this season will be even better.”
Nicholas Pooran, captain of defending champions MI Emirates, hopes to replicate his exceptional form from last season, where he amassed 354 runs across ten innings.
Sharing his optimism about the team’s chances of securing back-to-back titles, he stated as quoted from a press release by ILT20, “I have been a part of the competition, since the inception. We take winning very seriously and are eager to get the tournament underway, go out there, and perform.”
“We also understand what it takes to win. As a franchise, it’s important to have a strong core, and we’re really pleased to have retained a great unit, including somebody like UAE’s Muhammed Waseem. He has done very well for us and we are keen to watch him grow further as player, batter and leader,” he added.
Sikandar Raza who returns to lead the Dubai Capitals’ campaign this year, said, “This is my third year with the Dubai Capitals, and it’s great to be with them again. Winning the MVP award last year was nice, but it would have been even better to lift the trophy. Having nine international players in the playing eleven certainly makes it one of the toughest leagues in the world. Hopefully, we can take that extra step this year, building on the lessons we learned last season.”
Sunil Narine, T20 veteran and skipper of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders lauded his team’s composition.
“We have our eyes on the prize. As a captain, you have do it your own way, I think it’s a work in progress but I’m getting better and better at it. A key factor for us will be the powerplay batting and bowling and how we perform in those phases, but we have quality players and we’re looking forward to having a good start,” Narine said.
Lockie Ferguson is set to lead the Desert Vipers in his debut season. The New Zealander highlighted his enthusiasm for taking part in the competition for the first time, he said, “It’s great to be here with so many players that I have played alongside and against in my career. It’s a beautiful part of the world and we are very looked after here.”
“I am looking forward to a new role as a leader and putting my own spin on it. Fortunately, we have got a lot of experience on the team, and I am looking forward to getting to know the UAE players as well,” he added.
Gulf Giants’ fast bowler Tymal Mills, who addressed the press conference in place of his captain James Vince, said, “I am really excited for the first game. It is my first time working with Andy Flower who is one of most successful coaches in franchise cricket. We’ve had a great week getting to know each other and we’re looking forward to the competition. We have many guys who have played for a long time, and we have won the competition in the first season, so a lot of us know how to win. We have high expectations and will hopefully lift the trophy.”
Also taking the reins as captain in his debut season, Sharjah Warriorz’s Tim Southee said, “It’s a great tournament, I have watched from afar and can’t wait to get on in this season. My goal is always to try and contribute to the team’s success and offer some experience to the younger players, while always learning from some of the others.”
The month-long cricket fest will see some of the world’s finest cricketers in action including David Warner (Dubai Capitals), Jason Holder (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Shimron Hetmyer (Gulf Giants), Phil Salt (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Sharjah Warriorz), Sam Curran (Desert Vipers), Jake Fraser-McGurk (Dubai Capitals), Tim David( Gulf Giants), Fazalhaq Farooqi (MI Emirates), Adil Rashid (Sharjah Warriorz), Fakhar Zaman (Desert Vipers), Roston Chase (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Matthew Wade (Sharjah Warriorz), Ibrahim Zadran (Gulf Giants), Alex Hales (Desert Vipers), Sherfane Rutherford (Desert Vipers), Rovman Powell (Dubai Capitals), and Chris Jordan (Gulf Giants).
The ILT20 Season 3 will be launched with a grand opening ceremony which will be headlined by epic performances by Bollywood superstars Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde and Sonam Bajwa who are set to captivate the spectators at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday.
Renowned Bollywood producer and actor Jackky Bhagnani and Ridhima Pathak will emcee the opening ceremony. (ANI)
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