Send us a text

With the ILT20 Development Tournament in full swing, we caught up with fast bowler Khuzaima bin Tanveer and wicketkeeper-batter Tanish Suri (pictured in the thumbnail for this episode), two players who are part of the Desert Vipers squad in that competition.

All six DP World ILT20 franchises have teams in the Development Tournament and with three wins in their five matches in the group stage, the Vipers team has given a very good account of itself.

As we recorded this podcast on Sunday night, the 31st of August, immediately after the Vipers’ final group match, a 22-run win against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, the side looked set to contest the semi-finals on Tuesday the 2nd of September with the final taking place the following evening – all matches in the tournament are taking place at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City.

The players across all six teams are playing for not only the chance of being part of the winning team but also to put themselves forward to be considered for the DP World ILT20 player auction that is scheduled to take place at the end of September – so there’s a lot at stake.

Khuzaima reflects upon his time with the Vipers last season, his role for the Dubai Capitals in the Global T20 tournament in the Caribbean in mid-year and his ambitions for both the Vipers and the UAE - once he becomes available - and Tanish speaks about not only the Development Tournament, but also there help he's received from the Vipers coaching staff and his ambitions for the years to come.

https://www.thedesertvipers.com
https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers
https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/
https://www.batforachance.org.uk/
https://theplasticpledge.com/
https://tickets.virginmegastore.me/ae/group/venue/50/desert-vipers?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAab9fx_-_nYuzYvHADezZlIcCDI_Q1-MgUVPSzZh33ngq5Qp5aBuOZSl_ic_aem_IooLlA6jU_qbtCFRjyV67Q

Send us a text

Coming up we hear from wicketkeeper-batter Tanish Suri, all-rounder Ali Naseer and left-arm spinner Nilansh Keswani, with the trio set to feature for the Vipers’ Development team at the ICC Academy.

All six DP World ILT20 franchises have teams in the Development Tournament that is taking place in the last week of August and the first week of September and for all the players involved it’s a chance to showcase their talent with a view to being picked up in the main tournament’s first-ever auction, which is set to take place in late September ahead of season four in December and January.

We spoke with the trio at RAW Coffee in Al Quoz on the eve of the Development Tournament and for the three of them, the matches to come hold real significance.

For Nilansh, there’s the desire to be part of a tournament in which he featured for the Sharjah Warriorz in season two. For Ali, the aim is to once again be involved in a tournament he’s played in since the very first edition, while for Tanish, who was called up by the Vipers as cover late in season two before taking over behind the stumps at the start of season three, there’s the wish to show how much his game has developed since he was handed that chance in last term.

And for all three of them, this is a terrific platform to try and impress not only DP World ILT20 franchises but also the UAE selectors as, after the upcoming T20I tri-series against Pakistan and Afghanistan that serves a prelude to the Asia Cup, there’s qualifiers for next year’s ICC men’s T20 World Cup.

https://www.thedesertvipers.com
https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers
https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/
https://www.batforachance.org.uk/
https://theplasticpledge.com/
https://tickets.virginmegastore.me/ae/group/venue/50/desert-vipers?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAab9fx_-_nYuzYvHADezZlIcCDI_Q1-MgUVPSzZh33ngq5Qp5aBuOZSl_ic_aem_IooLlA6jU_qbtCFRjyV67Q

Send us a text

As the summer heat starts to fade in the UAE, it’s time to focus on on-field action again and specifically the ILT20 Development Tournament.

It’s a tournament for UAE players to put themselves in the shop window for the DP World ILT20’s first-ever auction, which is scheduled to take place in late September, and so there is a lot riding on events at the ICC Academy during the last week of August and the first week of September.

To talk to us about the Vipers’ squad for the Development Tournament is Jack Luffman, the Vipers’ Development Lead and someone who will also work as coach to the side during the upcoming action.

We spoke with Jack the morning after the Development Tournament draft, which took place on the evening of Monday the 18th of August at the Dubai International Stadium.

Representatives of the six franchises were in attendance to select their players for the Development Tournament, and coming up Jack gives us an insight into the players he’s helped select for the Vipers squad.

He talks to us about some of the familiar names in the line-up, including pace bowler Khuzaima bin Tanveer, who went from the 2024 Development Tournament to becoming a break-out star of last year’s ILT20, and also some names who might not be well-known at this stage but who hope to become more so, with this tournament being the start of that journey for them.

Khuzaima has already been retained by the Vipers for season four, but that still leaves three spots for UAE players up for grabs in the auction and so there is plenty of incentive for impressing during the upcoming action.

Jack explains how Director of Cricket Tom Moody, Head Coach James Foster and Vipers CEO Phil Oliver will stay across the details during the Development Tournament and also what he expects from the 18-match event that will culminate with a final on Wednesday the 3rd of September.

It’s a fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes to put together a key building block of the Vipers’ strategy for season four of the DP World ILT20.

https://www.thedesertvipers.com
https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers
https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/
https://www.batforachance.org.uk/
https://theplasticpledge.com/
https://tickets.virginmegastore.me/ae/group/venue/50/desert-vipers?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAab9fx_-_nYuzYvHADezZlIcCDI_Q1-MgUVPSzZh33ngq5Qp5aBuOZSl_ic_aem_IooLlA6jU_qbtCFRjyV67Q