Abu Dhabi Knight Riders gear up for DP World ILT20 season 4 challenge
After a historic DP World ILT20 League auction, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are set to make their mark in Season 4 of the eagerly anticipated tournament. With a revitalized squad, and a blend of promising youth and experienced players, the Knight Riders will leave no stones unturned as they aim to secure ultimate glory.
With Dwayne Bravo at the helm as head coach, ADKR have built a strong core. Signed as a wildcard, Jason Holder will be leading the team in this year’s edition. The franchise made key retentions and signings ahead of the auctions with notable established inclusions such as Alex Hales (who is the leading run-scorer in the DP World ILT20), Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt and Olly Stone.
They will be boosted by the presence of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who will continue to be pillars of the team, contributing to both departments. The team also added Piyush Chawla in their ranks as a wildcard, reuniting their trio from Kolkata Knight Riders’ title-winning team in 2014, while also adding experience to the team.
ADKR did well to secure Scotland all-rounder Brandon McMullen, England’s wicketkeeper-batter Michael Pepper and former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand, who also plays for LA Knight Riders in the MLC. The team also added the likes of Shadley Van Schalkwyk, England left-arm pacer George Garton and West Indian spinner Khary Pierre, who has represented Trinbago Knight Riders previously.
The team also has a strong GCC contingent to ensure strong local representation while staying in alignment with the team’s vision of nurturing homegrown talent. UAE talent Alishan Sharafu will lead the way in that regard, alongside Ibrar Ahmed, Ajay Kumar, Adnan Idrees Muhammad, Abdul Manan Ali and Mayank Chowdary.
Looking forward to a new season, head coach Dwayne Bravo said, “We’ve built a fantastic squad for this season with a great blend of experienced players and exciting emerging talent. We want to go out there and play an attacking brand of cricket while being adaptable to any situation. The energy in the camp has been high, and we’re determined to hit the ground running.”
Echoing these sentiments, Jason Holder added, “Captaining the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders is a great opportunity, and I’d like to thank the management for showing that faith in me. We have a fantastic group of players with plenty of match-winners in the side. Together, we want to achieve something special with this team.”
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will begin their DP World ILT20 Season 4 campaign against Sharjah Warriorz on December 3 in Sharjah.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders full Squad: Brandon McMullen, Michael Pepper, Unmukt Chand, Ibrar Ahmed, Ajay Kumar, Adnan Idrees, Abdul Manan Ali, Mayank Chowdary, Khary Pierre, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, George Garton, Liam Livingstone, Alex Hales, Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Alishan Sharafu.