“I am very excited to take up the role” – Sunil Narine appointed as captain of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine has been appointed as the captain of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 League (ILT20), slated to be held in UAE next year.

The 34-year-old said that the leadership role is a “new challenge” for him as he has to think about the functioning of the entire team.

“I am very excited to take up the role as captain of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. It is a new challenge, because now I have to think about the functioning of our whole team, rather than just focus on my game or my four overs,” Narine said in a statement.

“It is something I am really looking forward to. I have grown on Knight Riders, and Knight Riders have grown on me, so it is like a family. Everywhere they have a team, I love being a part of it. I have played a lot of cricket in the UAE, so I know the conditions pretty well.

“If you look at the ADKR squad, it is a familiar setup, and not a brand new XI that I have to get used to. So that gives me great confidence, knowing the strength of my players. There are a lot of senior guys in the team as well, who I can bounce ideas and information off. It is going to be a lot of fun, it has been a long journey with the Knight Riders family, and I hope it is a never-ending one,” he added.

The ILT20 league will commence on January 13 next year in the UAE. The tournament will see six teams competing in the inaugural edition of the event.

Narine, who has been playing with Kolkata Knight Riders has played 148 matches for the franchise in the Indian Premier League between 2012 and 2022. He has picked up 152 wickets, with the best figures of 5/19. also, he has been associated with Trinbago Knight Riders.