ILT20: Gulf Giants skipper James Vince credits collaborative team effort after qualifying for play-offs

Some of the finest performances at the inaugural edition of the DP World ILT20 have come from the Gulf Giants, who have had captain James Vince lead from the front, with three half-centuries so far. Vince, who is the leading scorer on the team, has been ably supported by the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Chris Lynn also chipping in with impactful performances for the Adani Sportslineowned Gulf Giants.

After ticking of the first checkbox, making the playoffs, the skipper said, “The team has bonded very well over the last three weeks, both on and off the pitch. The coaching staff have provided us with all the info we need and training has been specific too, so we’ve gone into detail with preparations and the AdaniGulf Giants’ camp’s ever-present support has helped a lot.”

Vince also added that everyone is the squad has stepped up in their roles, making it a robust unit. “We’re at the business end now and there have been contributions from everyone. Chris Jordan has led the way among the bowlers and the likes of Shimron Hetmyer too. There’s been contributions from all sides and that’s what you want going into the final rounds of the tournament,” he said.

“The consistency from the group has been fantastic,” Vince added.

The Gulf Giants’ captain noted that the batters and the bowlers always covered up well when one of the departments had a tough outing. “We are kind of exactly where we want to be and the key to it has been that if we got hit for a few runs, the good batting helped, and the bowlers have been very reliable as well. And to be able to reset well before every game properly has been helpful as well.

Speaking about the young and upcoming Sanchit Sharma, the skipper said it’s been a good learning curve for him, “He’s come up against a variety of challenges and quality batters and that will help. Sanchit can swing the ball upfront for us and that poses quite a threat to the batters, and he’s been calm while he’s gone about his work so far, which has really impressed me,” Vince signed off.