Dubai, 20th January 2024: The DP World ILT20 is back with a bang as the Dubai Capitals will look to kickstart their campaign in style with a massive clash against the MI Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, January 20. A varied range of players will take the field for the Dubai Capitals in the second season, led by Australian David Warner, who will don the captaincy badge in the upcoming edition of the tournament for the GMR Sports-owned side.
Speaking to media ahead of the tournament star batter Sam Billings, shared his excitement at the prospect of sharing the dressing room with a T20 World Cup winner in Warner.
“Great to play for the Dubai capitals in the ILT20. Fantastic opportunity to play with David Warner, having played multiple times against him. It is a lot better having him on our side this time. We have a quality side all the way from the top to the bottom. It’s going to be a tough competition but one that we are very excited for,” he said.
Meanwhile, Warner will have a brilliant pool of experience to work with as the side chases an improvement from their fourth-place finish in the first season of the ILT20. The retentions of Dasun Shanaka, Rovman Powell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sikandar Raza will add firepower to both their bowling and batting units, while Joe Root, Roelof van der Merwe, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Sam Billings are all expected to play key roles in their team’s success in the second season.
At the same time, Billings reiterated the importance of bowling first in the ILT20, given the playing conditions. “Pitches always have an impact in such tournaments. They get slower as the tournament progresses. Getting early wickets is important because then it becomes very difficult for the chasing team. This is where the new ball plays a very important role in getting wickets early. The pitch conditions over here generally show that it is a chase-friendly pitch and the dew will play a major factor as well,” he added.
Such a rich group of experience is sure to benefit the GMR Sports-owned Dubai Capitals, with players like Akif Raja and Mohammad Mohsin among their ranks. This a sentiment was also echoed by their star all-rounder Powell. “The cricketers of UAE especially the young players now have the option of talking and learning from many international stars who come to play in the international League T20 and this will surely benefit them in the long run,” added Powell ahead of their first match of the tournament.
