Abu Dhabi: New York Strikers, as part of their plan to spread their wings to other parts of the world, have joined the Abu Dhabi T10 in full force with the likes of Kieron Pollard and Eoin Morgan leading their challenge and former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh to play the role of mentor.
The US-based team, who have had a successful stint as a cricket franchisee in the US, announced the deal on Monday. The enigmatic left-hander Singh was previously a part of the Abu Dhabi T10 league in 2019.
Perfect opportunity
Elated to be part of the Abu Dhabi T10, Sagar Khanna, who began his entrepreneurial journey in telecommunications with Skky Group in Hicksville and is now the sole owner of the franchise, said: “It is an extremely exciting time for our franchise as the Abu Dhabi T10 is a unique and highly-competitive tournament, bringing together elite players from across the globe. It gives us the perfect opportunity to compete against the elites of cricket and test ourselves out.”
The franchise has brought in former West Indian skipper Pollard as their icon player and also signed on England’s 2019 ODI World Cup-winning captain Morgan as their platinum player. Azam Khan from Pakistan and Ireland’s Paul Stirling are the two Category A players signed on by New York Strikers.
Speaking on the signings, Sagar said: “Kieron Pollard and Eoin Morgan are among the biggest names in white-ball cricket. Both are extremely dangerous players and we have no doubt that their leadership qualities will be extremely essential for our camp going forward. Both Pollard and Morgan strike fear in the opposition team’s minds, and we like that thought.
Destructive batters
“Paul Stirling and Azam Khan too are destructive batters, who can turn a game on their heads very rapidly. The four players represent a strong and hardworking core, which is very much along the lines of our philosophy.”
Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman, T10 Sports Management, added: “I am delighted to welcome on board the New York Strikers team from the USA to our Abu Dhabi T10 family. Our aim was to establish the Abu Dhabi T10 as one of the standout events on the international cricket calendar and grow our global broadcast viewership numbers, which currently stand at 342 million. With the addition of the two new teams from America, we continue building on the success of the tournament as cricket’s quickest format evolves at a rapid rate.”
The Abu Dhabi T10 will kick off from the November 23 and will be a two-week long tournament that will see international cricket stars compete in a short and exciting 10-over format. The New York Strikers, the second team from USA, will join Morrisville Samp Army and will showcase the growing quality of cricket in America.
