ILT20 Captains Upbeat About Producing Electrifying Performances in Inaugural Season

Dubai, January 12: The International League T20 (ILT20) is all set start with Dubai Capitals taking on the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the opening match of the competition at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday (January 13).

The six teams - Dubai Capitals, Sharjah Warriors, Desert Viper, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, MI Emirates and Gujarat Titans - will battle in the inaugural edition of the league. The Capitals and Knight Riders will battle it out following a glitzy opening ceremony at the 'Ring of Fire'.

Before they take on each other on the park, a representative from each of the franchises assembled for a press conference on the eve of the start of the month-long contest to share their thoughts about the beginning of the exciting T20 league.

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Captain Sunil Narine expressed that he wants his team to enjoy the ride in the ILT20.

"Anything you do in cricket is challenging. We have to adapt and enjoy what we are doing. I hope everyone enjoys the cricket and gives their best," Narine said.

Narine who has come with his family also believes that UAE is a great place to play cricket.

"Having family here is great as we can do a little bit of sightseeing during our downtime instead of just relaxing in the room. There are a lot of things to do in Dubai and Abu Dhabi," Narine added.

Meanwhile, Colin Munro, the captain of Desert Vipers is confident that his team will sting his opponents hard. He revealed that he has such a strong team that he has a problem of plenty with many good players in the squad.

"We have to look at the balance of our team. The hardest thing for us will be to find a way to fit all good players into the eleven. I just want all the boys to enjoy the cricket and their time in the UAE," Munro said.

Rovman Powell, skipper of the Dubai Capitals, wants everyone to use the opportunity to improve, especially the UAE players.

"This is a start of something special. Not from a personal standpoint but from the team and franchise standpoint. This is a good chance for the UAE players to showcase their talent. The ILT20 is a good launching pad for them and hopefully, they'll utilize this opportunity," Powell said.

James Vince, the skipper of the Gulf Giants has giant hopes about his team's chances but accepts that all other teams are strong too.

"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. Most of my players travel from tournament to tournament and they know what to do in the coming days. It is important that they play their roles well," Vince said.

Dwyane Bravo, the senior most player who represented MI Emirates in the press conference said that the event will be very competitive.

"This is a short tournament, but it's going to be a competitive one." Bravo also revealed that it would be a learning experience for youngsters. "It's important for me to pass on whatever knowledge that I have about the game to my teammates and also develop the next generation of cricketers," Bravo said.

Meanwhile, Moeen Ali, skipper of the Sharjah Warriors, like brave warriors, emphatically 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'll look to enjoy the cricket and also be competitive at the same time."

ILT20 Opening Ceremony Details

Doors will open for fans to catch the opening ceremony of the DP World ILT20 (Friday 13 January) from 4:00 pm GST (5:30 pm IST) with the electrifying Badshah and Derulo performances starting at 5:15 pm GST (6:45 pm IST), followed by the much anticipated first match of the league between Dubai Capitals and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders set to will kick off at 6.45 pm GST (8:15 pm IST).

Source: Media Release