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The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have announced the first 14 players of their squad for the inaugural season of UAE's International League T20 (ILT20). The franchise took to social media on Tuesday (August 16) to unveil the list.
The likes of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who have been an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders team over the years, are now set to ply their trade for the Abu Dhabi Riders as well.
Apart from the two West Indian all-rounders, they have also roped in England's Jonny Bairstow for the edition. Notably, local players from the UAE will be added to the roster in the draft.
The first-ever season of ILT20 is scheduled to be played in January next year. A total of six teams will battle it out for the coveted championship trophy in the inaugural season of the franchise-based league.
Here's the full squad of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders:
Sunil Narine (West Indies), Andre Russell (West Indies), Jonny Bairstow (England), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Lahiru Kumara (Sri Lanka), Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka), Colin Ingram (South Africa), Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Seekkuge Prasanna (Sri Lanka), Ravi Rampaul (West Indies), Raymon Reifer (West Indies), Kennar Lewis (West Indies), Ali Khan (United States of America), Brandon Glover (The Netherlands)
"We are looking forward to very competitive games and a lot of entertainment" - Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore
Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore, in an official statement on Tuesday, expressed his excitement over the signings of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. He also mentioned how Jonny Bairstow is expected to play a big role for them in the tournament.
He stated:
"Firstly it's great to see that our global footprint continues to grow in line with our vision & strategy. KKR in IPL, TKR in CPL and now ADKR in the ILT20. It's also terrific that we have our mainstays – Sunil Narine and Andre Russell as part of ADKR. We are really delighted that Jonny Bairstow joins the Knight Riders family and will no doubt play a huge part in ADKR's journey in ILT20."
Mysore further welcomed the likes of Akeal Hosein, Ali Khan, Ravi Rampaul, Colin Ingram, and Seekkuge Prasanna, who have also earlier been a part of the Trinbago Knight Riders for the Caribbean Premier League. He said:
"We are also delighted that Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Ali Khan, Colin Ingram and Seekkuge Prasanna, who have been part of Trinbago Knight Riders before, are also a part of ADKR.
"A big welcome to Paul Stirling, Charith Asalanka, Kennar Lewis, Lahiru Kumara, Raymon Reifer and Brandon Glover to the Knight Riders family. The ILT20 promises to be an exciting tournament and we are looking forward to very competitive games and a lot of entertainment."
A total of 34 games are slated to be played in the first season of the tournament. Apart from Knight Riders, the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have also acquired teams in the UAE league.
