The iconic Sharjah stadium came alive as over fifteen thousand fans witnessed the opening ceremony of the first ever-international T10 tournament on Thursday evening.
His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance cut the ribbon, unveiled the trophy and set the tournament underway after hailing the power and skill needed to play this shortest version of the game.
Sheikh Nahyan congratulated Shaji Ul Mulk, the man behind the initiative in his capacity as Chairman of the T10 League, as well all those owners and directors who came out and unstintingly supported this version of cricket. Also present was Dr Nowhera Shaik, Founder & CEO Heera Group, the title sponsor and Salman Iqbal, President, T10 Cricket League.
In a delightful and relaxed manner after the formalities, the six teams did a round of honor of the field each accompanied by dancers from the specific region the teams represent and appropriate music in the background. A riveting display by performance artists and choreographed dances on stage plus a light and sound spectacle truly heralded a great start to the four-day tournament.
Well known players like Shahid Afridi,Virender Sehwag, Darren Sammy and Shakib Al Hasan received lusty cheers as they walked past. Not to mention the warm welcome received by celebrity attendees including Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, the wrestler the Great Khali, Suneil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, to name a few.
Kerala Kings defeated the Bengal Tigers by eight wickets in the first T10 international ever played. In the second match, the Pakhtoons defeated the Maratha Arabians by 25 runs.
Source: Sports360staff | Dec. 12, 2017
