Veteran cricketers from around the world join the Icon Players of each team to fire up Sheikh Zayed Stadium with explosive cricket

Press Release
Date: Abu Dhabi, UAE, December 25, 2020

All the eight franchises have packed their teams with the most bankable international cricketers to gear up for the second season of the Abu Dhabi T10. The competition will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium from January 28 to February 6, 2021. The sides have picked an impressive line-up of players from a pool of 600 international cricketers at a colourful Players’ Draft in Abu Dhabi.

The defending champions Maratha Arabians acquired a good combination of experienced and new stars in their team including its Icon Player Shoaib Malik’s compatriot Mohammad Hafeez, 48-year-old former Indian cricketer Pravin Tambe, English cricketer Laurie Evans, Bangladeshi players Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed. They will be well supported by Ishan Malhotra, Abdul Shakoor and Sompal Kami.

The Bangla Tigers, who have Isuru Udana as their Icon Player, will be backed up by Andre Fletcher, Tom Moores, Qais Ahmad, Chirag Suri, Johnson Charles, David Wiese, Mohammad Irfan, Afif Hossain as well as Adam Hose, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mahedi Hasan. The strong line-up will partly rely on Andre Fletcher’s hard-hitting abilities.

With Icon Player Dwayne Bravo, Delhi Bulls’ team includes Mohammad Nabi, Dushmantha Chameera, Sherfane Rutherford, Evin Lewis, Dasun Shanaka, Adam Lyth, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Fidel Edwards and Shiraz Ahmed.

The Northern Warriors’ Icon Player Andre Russell will receive tremendous support from Nicholas Pooran, Lendl Simmons, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Siddique, Rovman Powell, Nuwan Pradeep and Aamer Yamin this season.

With Sunil Narine as the Icon Player, the Deccan Gladiators have packed their side with Kieron Pollard, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Zahoor Khan, Colin Ingram, Mohammad Shahzad, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Azam Khan, Ravi Rampaul and Imran Tahir.

The Qalandars who have Shahid Afridi as their Icon Player, have been powered by Samit Patel, Phil
Salt, Chris Jordan, Sultan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Sohail Tanvir, Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Sohail Akhtar and
Sharjeel Khan.

With Chris Gayle as their Icon Player, Team Abu Dhabi have further bolstered their side with the addition of Alex Hales, Chris Morris, Najibullah Zadran, Ben Cox, Luke Wright, Rohan Mustafa, and Avishka Fernando.

The Pune Devils, who have Thisara Perera as their Icon Player, have picked up Mohammad Amir, Hardus Viljoen, Chamara Kapugedera, Sam Billings, Ajantha Mendis and Devon Thomas.

Shaji Ul Mulk, Founder & Chairman, Abu Dhabi T10, says, “The high number of players in the draft shows the popularity of the T10 league. All franchises are well balanced and they have put in a lot of thought while picking the players. It will be absolutely fantastic to see the top international cricket stars coming together at Abu Dhabi T10 for yet another extravaganza of cricket. I wish all the teams and players the very best of luck for the competition.”

Matt Boucher, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi Cricket, says, “We have got an incredible Icon Player line-up for this season and furthermore the teams have done a great job in packing their teams brilliantly. Bringing world cricket to Abu Dhabi is something that we are targeting to do and we are happy to note that several international stars will be making their way to the UAE for another season of Abu Dhabi T10. With all the teams ready and finalized, the excitement is truly ready to begin.”

Team Line-Up

Group A
Team Name : Maratha Arabians
Icon Player : Shoeb Malik
Team : Mohammad Hafeez, Laurie Evans, Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Pravin Tambe, Ishan Malhotra, Muktar Ali, Amjad Khan, Abdul Shakoor, Maroof Merchant, Sompal Kami, Syed Shah

Team : Bangla Tigers
Icon Player : Isuru Udana
Team : Andre Fletcher, Tom Moores, Qais Ahmad, Chirag Suri, Johnson Charles, David Wiese, Mohammad Irfan, Afif Hossain, Adam Hose, Karim Janat, Aryan Lakra, Fazal Haque, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mahedi Hasan

Team Name : Delhi Bulls
Icon Player : Dwayne Bravo
Team : Ali Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Dushmantha Chameera, Sherfane Rutherford, Evin Lewis, Dasun Shanaka, Adam Lyth, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Fidel Edwards, Shiraz Ahmed, Kashif Daud, Waqar Salamkheil, Nyeem Young, Amad Butt

Team Name : Northern Warriors
Icon Player : Andre Russell
Team : Rayad Emrit, Nicholas Pooran, Lendl Simmons, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Siddique, Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, Nuwan Pradeep, Aamer Yamin, Brandon King, Waheed Ahmed, Maheesh Theekshana, Ansh Tandon

Group B
Team Name : Deccan Gladiators
Icon Player : Sunil Narine
Team : Kieron Pollard, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Zahoor Khan, Colin Ingram, Mohammad Shahzad, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Azam Khan, Ravi Rampaul, Prashant Gupta, Zeeshan Zameer, Hamdan Tahir, Hafeez-ur-Rehman, Imran Tahir, Imtiyaz Ahmed

Team : Qalandars
Icon Player : Shahid Afridi
Team : Samit Patel, Phil Salt, Chris Jordan, Sultan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Sohail Tanvir, Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Sohail Akhtar, Sharjeel Khan, Fayyaz Ahmed, Azmatullah Omarzai, Maaz Khan, Khurshid Anwar, Ben Dunk

Team : Team Abu Dhabi
Icon Player : Chris Gayle
Team : Rohan Mustafa, Luke Wright, Avishka Fernando, Hayden Walsh Jr, Chris Morris, Usman Shinwari, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Najibullah Zadran, Ben Cox, Palaniapan Meiyappan, Leonardo Julien, Kushal Malla, Alex Hales

Team : Pune Devils
Icon Player : Thisara Pereira
Team : Mohammad Amir, Hardus Viljoen, Chamara Kapugedera, Sam Billings, Ajantha Mendis, Devon Thomas, Darwish Rasooli, Nasir Hossain, Kennar Lewis, Asif Khan, Mohammad Boota, Dinesh Kumar, Vriitya Aravind, Karan KC, Munis Ansari