MI Emirates skipper Nicholas Pooran ready to defend IL20 title

Dubai: MI Emirates skipper Nicholas Pooran minced no words when he threw down the gauntlet to the rivals as MI Emirates begin their title defence as the highly anticipated DP World ILT20 Season 3 returns bigger, bolder and ready to thrill the fans worldwide.

MI Emirates face Dubai Capitals in a repeat of last year’s finals at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday (7.15pm start). However, before the action on the field, Bollywood superstars Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde and Sonam Bajwa who are set to captivate the spectators at the Dubai International Stadium with enthralling performances on their blockbuster songs. Renowned Bollywood producer and actor Jackky Bhagnani and Ridhima Pathak will emcee the opening ceremony at 6pm.

“I have been a part of the competition, since the inception. We take winning very seriously and are eager to 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,” MI skipper Pooran told the media during the Captain’s Day.

The West Indian hopes to replicate his stunning form from last season, where he amassed 354 runs in 10 innings. The left-hander had special praise for UAE Twenty20 skipper Muhammad Waseem, who won the Blue Belt for the Best UAE player for the second straight season.

“UAE’s Muhammed Waseem has done very well for us and we are keen to watch him grow further as player, batter and leader.”

DP World ILT20 Season 2’s most valuable player and Red Belt winner, Sikandar Raza, who returns to lead the Dubai Capitals 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 learnt last season.”

Tournament Ambassador and former Pakistan speedster 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.”

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,” the West Indian all-rounder said.

Fifteen tournament matches will be played at the Dubai International Stadium. Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium will host 11 while the Sharjah Cricket Stadium will be the centre stage for eight matches. The matches will be broadcast live through the Zee Network and its syndication partners on linear and digital platforms.