ILT20 2023: Five MI Emirates players to watch out for

MI Emirates will start their campaign against Sharjah Warriors on January 14 in the inaugural edition of International League T20 (ILT20). The franchise will play under the leadership of the former West Indies skipper, Kieron Pollard. After having a bad season in last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), he will aim to bounce back with his captaincy stint for his ILT20 franchise. 

In the competition, eyes will be set on some other Emirates players as well as they will be crucial for the franchise to do well. These players will go into the tournament with their immense T20I and league cricket experience. All these players have played a lot of cricket in the UAE.

Henceforth, they will be expected to deliver the goods to project themselves as one of the strong title contendors. 

Here are five Emirates players to watch out for 

5. Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard will be a vital cog for the franchise in the tournament with his exceptional all-round and captaincy skills. The former West Indies cricketer had an amazing T20I career for the West Indies from 2008-2022. With 1,569 runs in 101 T20I games at a strike rate of 135.14, Pollard was an efficient batter for the West Indies for 14 years. With the ball too, he picked up 42 wickets at an economy of 8.32.

Last year, he bid adieu to international cricket after failing to deliver with his bat for a long time. The West Indies cricketer also played a lot of cricket in IPL, serving Mumbai Indians (MI) from 2010-22. Appearing in 13 seasons for the MI, he notched up 3,412 runs in 189 matches at an overwhelming strike rate of 147.32.

Going through these figures of the legendary cricketer, MI Emirates signed him for a whopping 2.60,000 US$ to get his services in the tournament. As a skipper, his responsibility will be to lead the team from the front and clinch the title in the maiden edition.