T10 League: Deccan Gladiators ready to take the league by storm

Finalists of the 2019 T10 League tournament, Deccan Gladiators will be looking to go one better when the tournament kicks off on January 28, 2021. The league, held in Abu Dhabi every year since its inception in 2017, has established itself as one of the most exciting ones with its wide pool of talents and the short nature of the format.

The Gladiators appeared in the tournament for the first time last year replacing the now defunct Sindhis, with Shane Watson as their captain and made it to the final before falling against the Maratha Arabians. This time around they’ve strengthened their squad at the drafts which was held on the 23rd of December. Their icon player for the year is West Indies spinner Sunil Narine.

Deccan Gladiators possess the firepower to challenge for the title

Apart from icon player Sunil Narine, there are his fellow West Indian teammates Kieron Pollard and Ravi Rampaul in the mix. Opener Mohammad Shahzad from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa are explosive batters who can influence a game’s outcome on their own, more so in a short format like the T10. Other Sri Lankans like Wanindu Hasaranga and Lahiru Kumara are ones to watch out for as well.

The Gladiators have no problem with regard to the spin department as they have the ever-reliable Imran Tahir. Tahir’s fellow countryman Colin Ingram and Pakistan’s Azam Khan are players capable of producing the fireworks as well. Apart from the plethora of big names, there are other talented and promising cricketers who will look to make their name and announce themselves at the T10 League.

To add to the talented players, the Gladiators have an assured coach in former Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed. The side certainly seems to have all bases covered. With an abundance of big-hitting batsmen and reliable bowlers, they will fancy their chances of getting their hands on the coveted title this year.

Deccan Gladiators