Jesse Ryder set to participate in Indoor Cricket World Cup

The Indoor Cricket World Cup is all set to kick off at Insportz, Dubai and will be held between September 16-23.

Published - 28 Aug 2017, 19:58 IST | Updated - 28 Aug 2017, 19:58 IST

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The Indoor Cricket World Cup is all set to kick off at Insportz, Dubai and will be held between September 16-23. The host nation, UAE will be up against New Zealand and this is being viewed as a difficult challenge for the hosts by many. The primary reason for considering the Kiwis as a daunting opposition is the presence of Jesse Ryder in the playing squad.

33-year old Ryder is arguably the most high-profile participant of the world tournament. He’s been a part of his nation’s Test squad for the outdoor version of the sport. Further, Ryder is renowned for his swashbuckling batting skills in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is currently participating in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

UAE players are up for the challenge

Followed by their opening match against the Kiwis, UAE will be facing Australia on Day 2. Australia has set quite a precedent in the Indoor Cricket World Cup, by winning all the 9 editions of the tournament that have taken place till date.

However, the UAE players are not backing down from a good challenge. Speaking about their upcoming match, Sameer Nayak, who has represented his nation in the outdoor format said,”I’ve seen [Ryder] hit the ball really far outdoors, and I am thinking about how he is going to play indoors. It is actually a good opportunity for us to play against a player like him and to test ourselves. It is good for us that the first two games are against New Zealand and Australia. They are the toughest, so after that, we will be in a good position to plan and get the skills. It is always important to get wins, but also the skills to go with it.”

Simultaneously, the Women’s Indoor Cricket World Cup will also be taking place, with the UAE Women’s team playing the inaugural match of the championship against 8-time champions, Australia. The home side comprises players of the outdoor format and hence, have very negligible experience in the indoor version of it.