Abu Dhabi, Oct 29 (IANS): Reigning champions Deccan Gladiators to face home favourites Team Abu Dhabi on November 23 in Abu Dhabi T10 League at the iconic Zayed Cricket Stadium.
The participating teams are the Bangla Tigers, Deccan Gladiators, two-time finalists - Delhi Bulls, two debutants for the season - Morrisville Samp Army and New York Strikers, 2-time champions Northern Warriors, Team Abu Dhabi, and The Chennai Braves.
The opening game will see the Kieron Pollard-led New York Strikers take on the Bangla Tigers captained by Shakib Al Hasan at 6:15pm and the second game of the day will see the defending Champions Deccan Gladiators, powered by West Indian stars Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russel, square up against crowd favorites Team Abu Dhabi at 8:30PM.
The top two ranked teams at the end of the league stages will go head-to-head in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing to the grand final. The losing team of the first qualifier will then get a second chance at the Abu Dhabi T10 trophy by facing the winner of the day's eliminator played between the sides placed third and fourth.
A third and fourth place playoff will take place Sunday, 4 December from 4pm before the final match at 6:15pm to crown this year's champions. The final act of Season 6 of Abu Dhabi T10 will be an exciting closing ceremony concert which will begin at 8:30pm local time.
Cricket's fastest format reached 342 million television and over-the-top (OTT) digital viewers in 2021, which resulted in sponsorship values increasing by 81%. Meanwhile the viewership numbers increased by 135% from the previous edition.
Abu Dhabi T10 Chairman, Shaji Ul Mulk said: "We're excited to reveal the Season 6 fixture list for the Abu Dhabi T10, which promises to deliver 33 quality games across 12 days of thrilling cricket. It will be fascinating to see how the squads take shape as we welcome our two new teams from the USA into the fold for their tournament debuts. It promises to be the most fascinating season we've delivered thus far."
Matt Boucher, CEO, Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub, said: "The Abu Dhabi T10 has become one of the biggest events on the calendar and we're committed to cricket remaining at the top table of Abu Dhabi's sporting portfolio. The crowds and our diverse community activation program will be back in full force to deliver our best season yet. Our thanks as always to the Department of Culture & Tourism Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Sports Council for their unwavering support of cricket Abu Dhabi."