With one day remaining before the Desert Vipers begin their 2026 ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) campaign against the Lahore Qalandars, captain Shadab Khan said the players were excited and that the mood in camp was relaxed and positive.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, the captain said he believed the team would win their matches if the players performed to their potential and followed their processes.
“I think I feel more excitement than nervousness because it is an honour for me to captain a champion team and be a part of the Vipers family,” he said.
“I am also very excited because we have some exciting talent in our team and we have a mixture of experience and youth. There is no need to be nervous; I am very excited to have these types of players on our team.”
The Desert Vipers play three of their four group matches at night, but their opening fixture against Lahore Qalandars on Friday is a day game. Given the heat in Georgetown and the fact it will be the third match on the same surface, the captain said he expected spin to play a significant role, though he was unwilling to reveal much about the final playing combination.
“I think we will keep the final line-up a secret until the toss, but obviously we have some plans in our mind.
“Because we are playing an early morning game, what we are assuming will be the conditions might not be the case, and it is possible that when we go there (to Providence Stadium) we might find that the pitch is totally different than what we expected. So that is why we will decide the line-up tomorrow.”
Shadab Khan has successfully captained the Islamabad United side in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for several years now and has had a front seat view of the Lahore Qalandars, the Vipers’ opponents in their opening match of the GSL. He said he had a high regard for one of the most successful teams of the PSL but was confident the Vipers could perform well against them.
“I think the Lahore Qalandars have very good, young and talented players. They have brought some of the best young Pakistani cricketers coming through. So it is definitely exciting to see them. Some of the players have played in the Pakistan Super League and some of them have come up from the domestic setup and are very talented, and they have a couple of overseas guys as well, so I think they have a very good, balanced side.
“They have figured out the process of winning trophies and we have seen that in the last five to six years, so definitely they are a very good side and hopefully we will give them a challenge.”
The Desert Vipers squad includes three UAE players: all-rounder Sanjay Pahal, wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind and right-arm fast bowler Matiullah Khan, all of whom represented the team in the DP World ILT20. Fast bowler Khuzaima Bin Tanveer had also been due to travel to Guyana but was unable because of commitments with the UAE national side.
Shadab Khan said he believed the UAE players would play an important role for the Vipers in the GSL.
“I think the tournament is very important for the UAE players, both from the players’ point of view and from the team’s point of view. These players have been with the Vipers for a couple of years now and they have been doing so well. They know the Vipers family well and how it operates and they have built a relationship with the team, where they want to give everything they have to the team.
“And we want those type of players in our squad, I saw them at training yesterday and they looked in great touch. They have so much hunger and from a captain’s point of view, that is what you need; the hunger and the passion. So it is good for the team because they will bring positive energy to the team.”
