Dubai, Feb 5 (IANS) Ahead of their final preliminary league match against Sharjah Warriors on Monday, the Gulf Giants’ skipper James Vince has credited contributions from members of the team for the team reaching the Playoffs and in the hunt for the title in the DP World ILT20.
The Adani Gulf Giants along with Desert Vipers and MI Emirates have made it to the Playoffs and are currently second in the standings, tied with Desert Vipers on 14 points.
Sharjah Warriors are in fourth place in the standings and still in the hunt for a spot in the Playoffs. Vince would be hoping his top players will come up with some great performances in the last match so that Gulf Giants would like to end the preliminary stage on a winning note.
Some of the finest performances at the inaugural edition of the league have come from Gulf Giants, who have had captain Vince lead from the front, with three half-centuries so far. Vince, who is the leading scorer on the team, has been ably supported by the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Chris Lynn also chipping in with impactful performances for the Adani Sportsline-owned Gulf Giants.
After ticking off the first checkbox, making the playoffs, the skipper said, “The team has bonded very well over the last three weeks, both on and off the pitch. The coaching staff have provided us with all the info we need and training has been specific too, so we’ve gone into detail with preparations and the Adani Gulf Giants’ camp’s ever-present support has helped a lot,” he was quoted as saying by the franchise in a release on Sunday.
Vince also added that everyone in the squad has stepped up in their roles, making it a robust unit. “We’re at the business end now and there have been contributions from everyone. Chris Jordan has led the way among the bowlers and the likes of Shimron Hetmyer too. There have been contributions from all sides and that’s what you want going into the final rounds of the tournament,” he said.
“The consistency from the group has been fantastic,” Vince added.
The Gulf Giants’ captain noted that the batters and the bowlers always covered up well when one of the departments had a tough outing.
“We are kind of exactly where we want to be and the key to it has been that if we got hit for a few runs, the good batting helped, and the bowlers have been very reliable as well. And to be able to reset well before every game properly has been helpful as well.”
Speaking about the young and upcoming Sanchit Sharma, the skipper said it’s been a good learning curve for him,
“He’s come up against a variety of challenges and quality batters and that will help. Sanchit can swing the ball upfront for us and that poses quite a threat to the batters, and he’s been calm while he’s gone about his work so far, which has really impressed me,” Vince signed off.
–IANS
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