Thisara, Udana among Icon players for Abu Dhabi T10 league

Thisara Perera and Isuru Udana will be among the Sri Lankans taking part in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament which will take place from January 28 to February 6. 

The fourth edition of the tournament will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.  

This season of the Abu Dhabi T10 will see the world’s best take part, including Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.

Arguably among the greatest limited-overs cricketers of all-time, Gayle will take centre stage as the Icon player for Team Abu Dhabi. With over 1,000 T20 sixes under his belt, the West Indian is raring to produce the fireworks in the fast-paced ten-over format.

"The shorter the format, the more exciting the game becomes, I can’t wait to play at the Zayed Cricket Stadium again, watch out Abu Dhabi - a Gayle storm is coming,” said Gayle.

No boundary is too big for Andre Russell and once he gets going there is no stopping him. The West Indian has played in more than 300 T20 matches and smashed over 800 boundaries in various leagues around the world will now be a part of the Northern Warriors as Icon player this season. 

The Qalandars boasts World T20 winner and Pakistani legend Afridi in their ranks. He held the record for the fastest century in the ODI format for more than 17 years.

“I look forward to coming back to the Abu Dhabi T10 and playing in one most stunning stadiums in the world" said Afridi.

Dwayne Bravo has been seized by the Delhi Bulls as their Icon player for this season.

Thr Deccan Gladiators' Icon player Sunil Narine will be a vital inclusion to the team. Sunil’s claim to fame came in 2009 when he picked up all 10 wickets during a trial match and was picked up in the Trinidad and the Tobago squad.

The defending champions Maratha Arabians have decided to back experience for this season as they have signed the World T20-winning player Shoaib Malik as their Icon player. The former Pakistan Captain will lead the Arabians side for this season of the ADT10.

Udana is set to showcase his slower ball variations as the Icon player for the Bangla Tigers. He has come to be known as a T20 specialist in the world of franchise cricket thanks to his performances in the Indian Premier League and Afghanistan Premier League.
Another World T20 winner Perera will provide his services with both, bat and ball as the chosen Icon player of the Pune Devils. Perera is known for his destructive batting in the death overs and often performs the role of finisher for his team.