UAE players have a chance to feature in IPL 2018: Virender Sehwag

Former India cricketer, Virender Sehwag reckons the potential in UAE players to make an impact in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and can possibly vouch for a good price in the league’s upcoming auction as they have got the ability to smash the ball big as well as take wickets.

Sehwag, the only Indian, who recently took part in the strongly contested T10 Cricket league, that was staged in UAE, was named the captain of Maratha Arabians. His team did considerably well reaching in the league’s semi-final before losing it to the Kerala Kings who were eventually crowned champions in the first edition at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

On a personal note, the flamboyant Indian opener didn’t have a great outing with the bat as he became Shahid Afridi’s third victim helping him claim a hat-trick in the first match and didn’t get a chance to bat in the second game. His side was led by Pakistan’s all-rounder Imad Wasim in the SF as the designated captain succumbed to a back injury.

On IPL prospect

Sehwag who is associated as a mentor with Kings XI Punjab, feels the players from UAE do have a good chance to feature in the upcoming IPL season as the auction this time promises to be as exciting as ever.

“Players from UAE and Afghanistan are playing in this league,” Sehwag said. “As a mentor in the IPL, I have watched a lot of players, and when it comes to auction in the IPL, I will know the players who have the capability to score runs or take wickets.”

Although there weren’t many noticeable performances by the local players as the format is very compact and doesn’t give time to settle in.

Mohammed Naveed, the premier fast bowler from the UAE national side, hit a six to win a game for Bengal Tigers on Friday and even knocked Shahid Afridi’s middle stump on Day 3 to get him out. Zahoor Khan, another pace bowler who returned with the best ODI bowling figures in UAE cricket history in a match against Ireland earlier this year, also took the wicket of Eoin Morgan.

Rohan Mustafa hit the winning runs for Kerala Kings against Maratha Arabians in the semi-final. Elsewhere, Saqlain Haidar was outstanding with the wicketkeeping gloves for Pakhtoons, while Ghulam Shabber actually lost his place behind the stumps for Punjabi Legends to Luke Ronchi.

UAE players would like to draw inspiration from their teammate Chirag Suri, who featured in the last edition of IPL for the Gujarat Lions.

Future of T10

“You can’t play T10 everywhere in the world,” Sehwag said. “This is the first league. In coming year, maybe [elsewhere], you never know,” he concluded.