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New Delhi/Abu Dhabi, Oct 24 (HS): Legendary Indian all-rounder, Yuvraj Singh, is set to smash his way onto the scene of the Abu Dhabi T10 having been acquired by the Maratha Arabians.
The former Indian master blaster who is regarded as one of the greatest limited over cricketers to ever play for his country, was signed as an ‘Arabian’ and will square off against the formidable T10 defending champions, the Northern Warriors, on the opening night of the tournament on 15th November.
“Playing in the Abu Dhabi T10 is a double joy for me because it will be my world T10 debut and because I always enjoy the warmth and support of the passionate cricket fans there,” said Yuvraj Singh.
“T10 suits my character and style of play. With such short matches, every ball, every over is important and you’re facing world-class competition every night so you’ve got to be ultra-focussed. I hope Maratha Arabians fans and Indian cricket fans have already got their tickets because we’re going to put on a show,” he added.
Singh’s inclusion on the Maratha Arabians side is one of the final player selections ahead of the tournament, with 120 players recently drawn at the Abu Dhabi T10 Draft. With such big names joining Singh as Eoin Morgan, Shane Watson, Muhammed Amir, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Lasith Malinga and Darren Sammy, the short form format is set to burst its way onto the global stage once again this November.
His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said, “Yuvraj Singh is one of the game’s undisputed superstars, and the confirmation he is joining the Abu Dhabi T10 is indicative of our city’s status as a world-class sporting destination that attracts the best.”
Singh’s inclusion adds yet another impressive dimension to the showpiece tournament which is being hosted in Abu Dhabi for the first time and will be beamed to Sony Network’s enormous Indian viewer base of 700 million on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 channels.
Maratha Arabians Co-owner, Parvez Khan commented, “We felt confident after the draft that we had a powerful line-up that would challenge for the title. But now adding Yuvraj to a team with Lynn, Bravo, Zadran and Malinga really puts Maratha Arabians on another level in terms of competitiveness and fan appeal.”
Co-owner Sohail Khan, actor and brother of superstar Salman Khan, added, “It’s terrific to have a world class player like Yuvi in our squad. We have seen his exploits for India in various formats. He is a champion cricketer and has been one of the greats of the white ball format. It’s a huge honour to have him in our squad.”
Ali Tumbi, Maratha Arabians co-owner, added, “If you have the chance to add a player of Yuvraj Singh’s calibre to your team, you do whatever it takes. We are delighted he will be playing for Maratha Arabians and I’m confident the fans will be pleased to watch him play against the other elite talent assembled for the Abu Dhabi T10.”
The opening ceremony concert of the Abu Dhabi T10 will take place on November 14, with the first match kicking off on November 15.
