Abu Dhabi T10 league to be held from Nov 19

Abu Dhabi: The fifth edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 league will be held here from November 19 to December 4, the tournament organisers announced.

“MARK YOUR DIARIES! CalendarTrophy....Cricket’s fastest format is back in Abu Dhabi. Season 5 of the #AbuDhabiT10 will take place from 19th November - 4th December 2021,” league’s official twitter handle wrote on Wednesday.

The 15-day tournament will also celebrate the UAE’s 50th National Day which falls on December 2.

The 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 will feature an increased number of matches played over the planned 15 days, as opposed to 10 days in previous seasons.

“It is indeed a matter of pride that a journey that started in 2017 with just four teams has now reached a stage whereby the tournament has become an important part of the world’s cricketing calendar,” Shaji Ul Mulk, chairman of TSM, which owns the T10 League was quoted as saying by khaleejtimes.com

“It is most heartening to see the world’s top cricketers in this hugely popular format and upcoming cricketers seize the advantage of the platform to rub shoulders with the best in the business,” he added.

The tournament was held last time with strict COVID protocols in place, and it will be the same this year, too.

Launched in 2017, Abu Dhabi T10, which is sanctioned by the ICC and Emirates Cricket Board, has built on the popularity of the round-robin format followed by eliminators and a final.

Meanwhile, the Emirates Cricket Board has also welcomed the new and the bigger 2021 season of the league

“It has been with great pleasure that the ECB has followed the growth of the Abu Dhabi T10 over the past four seasons. The tournament is a huge opportunity for our players to play with top international cricketers which enables them to consistently hone their skill sets,” said Mubashshir Usmani, general secretary of the ECB.

“We are very confident of the success for the next edition, in this important year for the UAE, and believe cricket fans in this country will be thrilled at a series of longer duration with more matches,” he added. (UNI)