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 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.”

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. For further information about tickets and hospitality information, please visit: https://www.q-tickets.com/AbuDhabit10

About Abu Dhabi Cricket
Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC) is supported by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and operates under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan.

ADC is ushering in an exciting new era of cricket in Abu Dhabi with significant investment in facilities and operational upgrades. In addition to the iconic Zayed Cricket Stadium the venue now boasts the following impressive facilities: 2 x floodlit nursery cricket ovals, international standard cricket nets facility, 4 x floodlit netball courts, 5-a-side “Soccer City”, 4 x multi-purpose floodlit astro-turf pitches and 5 x FIFA approved grass, floodlit football pitches.

ADC was founded on 20th November 1996, with the impressive Zayed Cricket Stadium, considered among the world’s best, being completed in 2005. The Stadium’s inaugural international match was staged between India and Pakistan in April 2006 and was attended by 20,000 enthusiastic fans.

Zayed Cricket Stadium has hosted numerous domestic and international matches since that day. The electric atmosphere of the Pakistan vs. India match was rivalled when the Indian Premier League arrived in 2014.

2018 saw the stadium’s biggest season to date with over 75,000 fans flooding the stands throughout the 2018 ACC Asia Cup, Pakistan vs. Australia series, Pakistan vs. New Zealand series and of course the inaugural Abu Dhabi T20 – during which six of the world’s biggest T20 franchises descended upon the UAE capital to vie for championship honours.

Though cricket is at the core of operations, ADC also prides itself on the world-class facilities available, catering to sportsmen and women of all ages and abilities from elite international players to community sports enthusiasts.

In addition to the international cricket season that was, ADC has also welcomed and hosted the likes of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) England Lions for their 2018 tour of the UAE, New Zealand’s All Black 7s and Black Fern 7s rugby teams ahead of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby 7s (of which both teams emerged champions) and Japan, Oman, Syria, China, Yemen, Iran, Thailand, India and South Korea’s football training camps ahead of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

The facility has also been used by several other international associations as a winter training destination, most notably many professional English County teams who return year after year for their pre-season camps.

The recent investments to develop the facility have truly ensured that ADC is known for more than cricket. Indeed, Abu Dhabi Cricket has become the home for a range of coaching academies, clubs, groups and schools for football, touch rugby, netball, basketball, squash and much more.

About Abu Dhabi Sports Council

Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) was established in 2006 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

ADSC is aligned with the emirate’s leadership vision to develop sport and youth activities. The Council promotes an effective, emirate-wide sports calendar that stimulates the desire to participate in quality sports among all Abu Dhabi residents and helps the talented and motivated reach their sporting potential.

The Council also hosts and supports the staging of international world-class sporting events. These include: the annual Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA; the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; the ITU World Triathlon Series; the Gary Player Invitational; the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour, the Red Bull Air Race; the Mubadala World Tennis Championship; the 2017 and 2018 FIFA Club World Cups UAE; the 2019 AFC Asian Cup UAE and the UCI WorldTour event, The UAE Tour.

We at ADSC firmly believe that sporting events deliver a host of benefits for the emirate and its residents. These span improved health and wellness, the building of community spirit, the discovering of local talent and the delivery of international exposure of the emirate as a world-class sporting events hub.

Whether it is land, sea or air, we have sport covered.

About Abu Dhabi T10

Abu Dhabi T10 is a professional ten-over format cricket league launched by T10 Sports Management and licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board and approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of international cricket. It is the first ever internationally approved ten-over format league. Matches have 10-over-a-side format and duration of 45 minutes a side totalling 90 minutes of play.

The tournament is played over ten days, with a round robin followed by semi-finals and the final. The 2017 edition was played from 14-17 December at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. In August 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially sanctioned the league. The 2nd Season of the T10 League added two more teams to expand the tournament. As a result, the T10 League expanded to 29 matches spread across ten days.

For press enquiries please contact:

Matt Wickens, Four Communications

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+971 52 893 2016