DP World ILT20: Tournament a great platform for UAE players, says Dubai Capitals captain Pathan

The inaugural ILT20 features 24 UAE players spread across the six franchises — Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and the Sharjah Warriors

By Team KT

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Dubai Capitals skipper Yusuf Pathan. — Supplied photo
Dubai Capitals skipper Yusuf Pathan. — Supplied photo

Published: Wed 8 Feb 2023, 4:45 PM

Dubai Capitals captain Yusuf Pathan felt that the DP World ILT20, apart from attracting some top players, is a fantastic platform for the UAE players to show what they are capable of.

The inaugural ILT20 features 24 UAE players spread across the six franchises — Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and the Sharjah Warriors.


"A lot of good players are playing in the DP World ILT20. And a lot of UAE players are also playing in the tournament. This tournament is a great platform for UAE players. The good performances by some of the UAE players in the tournament augurs well for UAE cricket. The local players have also got a chance to learn from international players off the field as well," felt Pathan.

Meanwhile, Pathan said that the Dubai Capitals will look to continue playing good cricket as they head into the final stretch of the tournament.


The Dubai Capitals are all set to take on MI Emirates in the Eliminator at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The Dubai Capitals finished fourth in the league stage after picking up nine points from 10 matches.

"We played well against MI Emirates in our two league encounters. We are going to face them again, but this game will be in a different phase of the tournament. We'll look to keep playing good cricket," he said.

The Dubai Capitals required Gulf Giants to defeat Sharjah Warriors in the last league stage match in Sharjah on Monday to qualify for the playoffs.

Pathan revealed that all the Dubai Capitals players were keenly following the game on Monday. "We watched the match between Sharjah Warriors and Gulf Giants. We were following everything that was happening in the game. The result was unfortunate for the Warriors, but it was a positive for us and we qualified for the playoffs. From hereon, we are looking to replicate the performance we put up in our last game against MI Emirates," he said.

Pathan also said that the Dubai Capitals players trust their abilities. "We have a well-balanced side. After being reduced to 44-3 in our last game against MI Emirates, Dasun Shanaka and Sikandar Raza strung a partnership of 122 runs. This shows the trust that the players have in each other. Everyone has to trust their abilities and the team's ability," Pathan said.


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