Russell, Narine, Bairstow join Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for ILT20
The Kolkata Knight Riders allrounders will play for their IPL team owners in UAE's T20 league
ESPNcricinfo staff
16-Aug-2022
Sunil Narine and Andre Russell will play for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in UAE's International League T20 • BCCI
Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Jonny Bairstow are among the 14 players signed by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) for UAE's International League T20 (ILT20), along with West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein, fast bowler Ravi Rampaul and Sri Lanka batter Charith Asalanka.
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ADKR announced their overseas players on Tuesday and the list also includes Sri Lanka allrounder Seekuge Prasanna and fast bowler Lahiru Kumara; Paul Stirling of Ireland; and South African batter Colin Ingram.
Narine and Russell have been part of the IPL's Kolkata Knight Riders - the owners of the Abu Dhabi team - since 2012 and 2014 respectively, while Narine also plays for the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.
"Firstly it's great to see that our global footprint continues to grow in line with our vision & strategy. KKR in IPL, TKR in CPL and now ADKR in the ILT20," Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Riders, said.
"It's also terrific that we have our mainstays - Sunil Narine and Andre Russell as part of ADKR. We are really delighted that Jonny Bairstow joins the Knight Riders family and will no doubt play a huge part in ADKR's journey in ILT20. We are also delighted that Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Ali Khan, Colin Ingram and Seekuge Prasanna, who have been part of Trinbago Knight Riders before, are also a part of ADKR."
ADKR said that their local UAE players would be added to the squad later via in the draft. They are the second team in the league after MI Emirates to announce their initial list of 14 international players.
The ILT20 is scheduled to begin in January next year in the UAE and is competing with South Africa's T20 League for players.
ADKR squad so far: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Raymon Reifer, Kennar Lewis, Ravi Rampaul (all from West Indies), Jonny Bairstow (England), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Lahiru Kumara, Charith Asalanka, Seekkuge Prasanna (trio from Sri Lanka), Colin Ingram (South Africa), Ali Khan (USA), Brandon Glover (The Netherlands).