Gulf Cricket T20I Championship 2024:Squads,Fixtures and Venue

The Gulf T20I Championship is designed to promote cricket in the Gulf region. It features a Twenty20 International (T20I) format, which is known for its fast-paced and thrilling matches. The inaugural edition took place from September 15 to September 23, 2023, in Qatar. The tournament was organized by the Qatar Cricket Association and hosted at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha.

For the upcoming 2024 edition, the Gulf T20I Championship will be hosted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from December 13 to December 21, 2024. This tournament aims to build on the success of its inaugural edition and further enhance the profile of cricket in the region.

Tournament Overview

The Gulf T20I Championship follows a round-robin format, where each team plays against every other team in the tournament. This structure ensures that all teams have an equal opportunity to showcase their skills and compete for a place in the final. After all teams have played each other, the top two teams with the best records advance to the championship match. This format not only adds excitement but also allows for fair competition among all participating teams.

Key Details

• Dates: December 13 to December 21, 2024
• Format: Twenty20 International (T20I)
• Teams: Six teams from the Gulf region
• Matches: A total of 16 matches will be played during the tournament.

The tournament is organized by the International League T20 (ILT20) and sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). It aims to foster cricket's development in the Gulf region and provide a platform for emerging players.

Teams

Squads

The Gulf T20I Championship 2024 will feature six teams representing different countries in the region:

• Bahrain

Haider Ali (c), Abdul Majid Abbasi, Asif Ali, Fiaz Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ali, Imran Anwar, Junaid Aziz, Muhammed Basil, Ahmer Bin Nasir, Rizwan Butt, Imran Khan, Prashant Kurup (wk), Muhammad Salman, Sai Sarthak.

• Kuwait

Mohammed Aslam (c), Clinto Anto, Mirza Ahmed, Mohammad Amin, Meet Bhavsar, Muhammad Aqif Farooq, Adnan Idrees, Sayed Monib, Usman Patel (wk), Yasin Patel, Ravija Sandaruwan, Mohamed Shafeeq, Bilal Tahir, Mohammad Umar.

• Oman

Jatinder Singh (c), Wasim Ali, Shakeel Ahmed, Mehran Khan, Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Mohammad Nadeem, Ashish Odedara, Jay Odedra, Muzahir Raza, Samay Shrivastava, Vinayak Shukla, Karan Sonavale.

• Qatar

Mohammed Rizlan (c, wk), Mohammad Ahnaff, Saqlain Arshad, Muhammad Asim, Mirza Mohammed Baig, Amir Farooq, Muhammad Jabir, Ikramullah Khan, Imal Liyanage (wk), Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, Mohammed Nadeem, Arumugaganesh Nagarajan, Himanshu Rathod, Muhammad Tanveer.

• Saudi Arabia

Waji Ul Hassan (c), Abdul Manan Ali (vc, wk), Abdul Waheed, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Nawazish Akhtar (wk), Choudhry Md Imran, Usman Khalid, Faisal Khan, Zuhair Muhammad, Usman Najeeb, Ahmad Raza, Zuber Sunasara, Sidharth Sankar (wk), Zain Ul Abidin.

• United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Muhammad Waseem (c), Rahul Chopra, Syed Haider (wk), Muhammad Jawadullah, Simranjeet Kang, Nilansh Keswani, Asif Khan, Ali Naseer, Dhruv Parashar, Omid Shafi Rahman, Alishan Sharafu, Junaid Siddique, Tanish Suri (wk), Zuhaib Zubair.

Fixtures for 2024/2025

Venues

The Gulf T20I Championship will be hosted at two prominent venues in Dubai:

ICC Academy Ground

This venue is known for its excellent facilities and has hosted numerous domestic and international matches. It provides a great atmosphere for players and fans alike.

Image Source: Cricket Addictor

Dubai International Cricket Stadium

As one of the premier cricket stadiums globally, it has hosted many high-profile matches including World Cup games. The stadium's large seating capacity ensures that fans can enjoy matches comfortably while creating an electric atmosphere.

Image Source: sixescricket.com

Broadcast Partner

The Gulf T20I Championship aims to reach a wide audience through various broadcasting channels. Fans can follow all the action through:

• India: Live streaming on FanCode

• MENA Region: Criclife/Starzon

• USA and Canada: Willow TV

• Rest of the World: Sportseye page on YouTube

Champion of Previous Edition (2023)

Oman emerged victorious in the inaugural edition held in Qatar. Their triumph marked a significant achievement for Omani cricket as they claimed their first title in this newly established tournament.

Image Source: Staddoha.com

Season Records 2023

The inaugural tournament set several records that will be remembered as milestones in its history:

• Most Runs Scored by a Player: Muhammad Waseem (UAE) – 316 runs

• Most Wickets Taken by a Player: Ali Naseer (Oman) – 11 wickets

• Highest Individual Score in a Match: Aqib Ilyas (Oman) scored an impressive total during one of his innings.

These records reflect not only individual brilliance but also competitive spirit among all participating teams.

Prize Money

To encourage participation and reward performance, significant prize money was allocated for both individual achievements and team success during the tournament.

Breakdown of Prize Money

For instance:

• The champion team received $50,000 as prize money.
• Runners-up were awarded $25,000.

Additionally, individual awards such as Player of the Series came with cash prizes further motivating players to excel on this platform.

Conclusion

The Gulf T20I Championship represents an exciting opportunity for cricket in the Gulf region. With its successful inaugural edition and plans for future tournaments like this one coming up soon in December 2024; it promises not only thrilling entertainment but also an avenue for showcasing emerging talent across these nations.

This championship not only highlights cricketing excellence but also fosters friendship among nations through sport—an endeavor that resonates far beyond mere competition! Whether you are a die-hard cricket fan or new to following these tournaments; keep an eye out as they continue growing while inspiring future generations within this beautiful game!