While T20 tournaments like the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League are already creating enough buzz in the busy cricket calendar, inaugural edition of UAE T20 International League, a T20 cricket league run by the Emirates Cricket League is new one to join the bandwagon.
The highly anticipated T20 league is reportedly slated to take place from January to February in 2023. The league featuring six teams has already managed to rope in world-class players like Rashid Khan, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and others. Lets look all the specific details regarding the upcoming T20 tournament.
Organising board: Emirates Cricket Board (ECB)
Host: United Arab Emirates
Format: Twenty20
Tournament format: Round-robin and playoffs
Number of teams: 6
Matches played: 34
Franchise and owners:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR): Knight Riders Group
Gulf Giants: Adani SportsLine
MI Emirates: Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited
Dubai Capitals: GMR Group
Capri Global Capital Limited and Lancer Capital LLC are yet to officially name their franchise.
Salary cap for players:
The organisers have set a salary cap at $2.5 million each. Reportedly, UAE T20 League will have nine wage slots starting at $340,000. The league has also introduced a loyalty bonus or signing bonus, which could see the highest paid player earn $110,000 more than his salary. Every team will have a $500,000 purse besides $500,000 bidding purse included in the $2.5 million salary purse.
Every team will be able to sign 18 players including 12 overseas players and a player from an associate nation. In playing XI, one UAE player and a player from associate nation is must. Meanwhile, nine overseas player can be included in the squad.
Squads:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Jonny Bairstow (England), Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Raymon Reifer, Kennar Lewis (all West Indies), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Brandon Glover (Netherlands), Ali Khan (USA), Lahiru Kumara, Charith Asalanka, Seekuge Prasanna (all Sri Lanka), Colin Ingram (South Africa)
MI Emirates: Kieron Pollard (West Indies), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Trent Boult (New Zealand), Andre Fletcher (West Indies), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Samit Patel (England), Will Smeed (England), Jordan Thompson (England), Najibullah Zadran (Afghanistan), Zahir Khan (Afghanistan), Fazalhaq Farooqui (Afghanistan), Bradley Wheal (Scotland), Bas De Leede (Netherlands).
Gulf Giants Squad: Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, James Vince, Tom Banton, Dominic Drakes, David Wiese, Jamie Overton, Richard Gleeson, Qais Ahmad, Rehan Ahmed, Wayne Madson, Liam Dawson
Rest of the franchises are yet to name their squad for the inaugural edition of the upcoming UAE T20 International League.
Where to watch the live broadcast and streaming of the UAE T20 International League in India?
The Emirates Cricket Board has awarded Zee Network, which is controlled by the Essel Group to broadcast and live stream the tournament for ten years. Zee channel will broadcast the matches in India, while Zee5 OTT platform will show the live streaming of the matches.