
The sixth edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 League will see a host of rising stars take the centre stage.
T10, which is the fastest format of the game, requires players to go all out right from the first ball and hence, it needs players to modify their natural style to suit the demands of this format.
The ADT10 is bigger, better and more competitive than ever before this season. With two new teams in the roster, the talent pool expands itself further, adding more glamour to the tournament.
Here are the top players to watch out for in the Abu Dhabi T10 2022:
Peter Hatzoglou (Team Abu Dhabi)
Peter Hatzoglou will ply his trade for Team Abu Dhabi for the upcoming edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 League.
The 23-year-old Australian brings with him a rich vein of experience as far as BBL is concerned. With 32 wickets for Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers combined, he is third on the list of most wickets by a spinner in the last two seasons of BBL.
He also featured for the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred earlier this year.
With Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi favouring the batters, the right-arm spinner’s experience will be crucial for Team Abu Dhabi.
Mrittunjoy Chowdhury (Bangla Tigers)
The Bangla Tigers’ bowler has had a fairly successful career so far.
Chowdhury rose to prominence when he bagged a hat-trick against Sylhet Sunrisers on his Bangladesh Premier League debut earlier this year.
He was the highest wicket-taker for his team with 15 wickets in eight games at an average of 14.93 and an economy of 9.14 in Bangladesh Premier League 2022, guiding Chattogram Challengers to the playoffs.
The left-arm pacer adds great variety to the bowling attack of Bangla Tigers in his first outing at the Abu Dhabi T10 League.
Junaid Siddique (Northern Warriors)
Another home-grown star who will look to rattle the opposition’s batters is Northern Warriors pacer Junaid Siddique.
The right-arm fast bowler has taken 33 wickets in 20 T20 internationals since making his debut for UAE in 2019.
He recently took eight wickets in three T20 World Cup 2022 qualifying games, including a five-wicket haul against the formidable West Indies.
Siddique will be playing his third Abu Dhabi T10 League. The 29-year-old finished as the third-highest wicket-taker last season, with 11 from nine games.
Josh Little (Deccan Gladiators)
The 23-year-old pacer is coming on the back of a highly successful year as far as individual numbers are concerned.
Little currently leads the list of most T20I wickets in a calendar year, having scalped 39 wickets in 26 games in the shortest format of the game in 2022.
The Irish international took 11 wickets in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, including four in the qualifying rounds and seven in the main group stage.
He will look to spearhead the seam attack for the defending champions Deccan Gladiators, who are raring to clinch another trophy with their star-studded squad.
Hazratullah Zazai (Bangla Tigers)
Hazratullah Zazai returns for a second consecutive season with the Bangla Tigers. He was the leading run-getter in the previous edition of the competition, with 353 runs.
He has been equally impressive in the international circuit for Afghanistan, scoring 967 runs in 34 T20Is at an average of 31.19 and a strike rate of 136.58.
Furthermore, he holds the record for the highest partnership in T20Is with compatriot Usman Ghani. The two openers stitched together a 236-run stand against Ireland in 2019, with Zazai scoring a fantastic 162 runs off 62 balls.
Rahkeem Cornwall (Delhi Bulls)
Another player who brings plenty of first-class cricket experience to the table is the West Indian Rahkeem Cornwall.
The all-rounder will be debuting in the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 League, playing for Delhi Bulls, who finished as runners up in the last two editions.
The 29-year-old has scored 1,146 runs and taken 31 wickets in 66 T20 encounters so far in his career.
Cornwall has been in terrific form in T20 cricket this year and smashed a double-century while playing for Atlanta Fire in USA’s Minor Cricket League. He scored 205 off 27 balls, including 17 fours and 22 sixes.