Zimbabwe Cricket star Sikandar Raza has been recognised for his recent impressive form by being signed up by the Dubai Capitals ahead of the inaugural season of the UAE’s International League T20.
The six-team league has been sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board and will take place between January 6 and February 12.
Raza, who has been in scintillating form will be joined in the Dubai Capitals changing room by his compatriot Blessing Muzarabani, who has also been signed up ahead of the inaugural season.
Really looking forward to joining the team and meeting my team mates.
Can’t wait and great to have @Bmuz40 with me at the @ILT20Official #Alhamdulillah #ILT20 #DubaiCapitals #GMRGroup #GMRSports #ILT20Official @sports_gmr @Stemsports1 https://t.co/nR9HvhLvjr
— Sikandar Raza (@SRazaB24) August 18, 2022
Muzarabani has also been a consistent performer for the Zimbabwe side but recently missed the ODI series against Bangladesh and the ongoing home assignment versus India due to injury.
The Zimbabwean pair are part of a large contingent of 14 overseas players that have been signed by the Dubai Capitals team which is owned by the GMR Group.
Muzarabani and Raza along with Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Niroshan Dickwella, Hazratullah Zazai and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are the other big names.
Scotland’s George Munsey and Netherlands’ Fred Klaassen are the two Associate players while four domestic (UAE) players will be drafted at a later date.
Among the current signees, Powell is the only one who is part of Delhi Capitals, the franchise partly owned by the GMR Group in the IPL.
“Being a part of T20 cricket’s most extravagant set-up, the Indian Premier League, for 15 years now – we felt that it was the right time to expand our wings on to the global popularity charts of this format of the sport,” Kiran Kumar Grandhi, the managing director of the GMR group and chairman of Dubai Capitals said.
“The International League T20, which is scheduled to be launched in the United Arab Emirates in January 2023, is a perfect stepping-stone for GMR Sports towards building the Capitals universe comprising of a galaxy of cricketing stars from all corners of the world. We are looking forward to making a world-class city like Dubai, our home as Dubai Capitals.”
Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are the other teams who have announced their overseas roster for the ILT20.
Dubai Capitals squad so far: Rovman Powell, Dushmantha Chameera, Hazratullah Zazai, Fabian Allen, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sikandar Raza, Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dan Lawrence, Blessing Muzarabani, Isuru Udana, George Munsey, Fred Klaassen