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Abu Dhabi Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine has expressed his thoughts on the ILT20 in the UAE, which is slated to commence from 13th January, 2023. The inaugural edition of ILT20 includes six teams and will be played in a 34-match format. All the six captains are more than eager to take part in this event.

On the eve of the tournament, all the six captains gathered for a press conference. The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will be the first team to start off the tournament against Dubai Capitals. Skipper Sunil Narine on the eve of their clash looked his calm self and said he was looking forward to taking part in the tournament.

I hope everyone enjoys cricket and gives their best, says Narine

“Anything you do in cricket is challenging. We have to adapt and enjoy what we are doing. I hope everyone enjoys cricket and gives their best.” The 34-year-old also stated 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.” 

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will be taking on Dubai Capitals in the first match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 13th January 2023. The teams will battle it out following a scintillating opening ceremony at the ‘Ring of Fire’. Narine’s counterparts also had their opinions to share.

Colin Munro, the captain of Desert Vipers, exuded confidence that his team will give the opponents a hard time on the ground. “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 cricket and their time in the UAE,” the New Zealander said.

Dubai Capitals captain Rovman Powell, is also eagerly looking forward to the tournament before his team’s opening clash versus the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. “This is the 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 DP World ILT20 is a good launching pad for them and hopefully, they’ll utilize this opportunity,” he said. Powell’s side has two Indian players in its ranks, Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan.

Gulf Giants’ skipper James Vince, just as the name of his team suggests, has extremely giant hopes from the tournament’s competitiveness. “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.”

Another big name in the cricketing world who will be taking part in this tournament is Dwayne Bravo. He is playing for MI Emirates and seemed impressed that the tournament has involved great players from around the world for tough competition. “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.”

Finally, Sharjah Warriors captain Moeen Ali was more than ready for the tournament to just get started and he with his team playing great cricket in it. “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.”

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