The DP World International League T20 is just a few days away from kicking off and the inaugural batch of Desert Vipers have assembled in UAE. The coaching staff headed by Director of Cricket Tom Moody and head coach James Foster have picked a squad with a great mix of youth and experience.
The star power of Colin Munro, Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Wanindu Hasaranga and a host of other T20 stars form a strong core for the Vipers. Amidst these big names, there are some young talents who are keen on using this platform to make a name for themselves.
Here are four youngsters from the Vipers’ contingent who could set the stage on fire in the inaugural edition of ILT20.
Ali Naseer (UAE)
The Vipers acquired another upcoming batting all-rounder in UAE cricket in Ali Naseer, who featured in the U19 World Cup last year as well, alongside Panoly. He scored 150 runs at an impressive strike rate of 106.38, including half-centuries against England U19 and Canada U19.
He also picked up three wickets with his medium pace in these six matches at an economy of 4.82. Naseer can take up the lower middle order duty for the Vipers and slot in a few overs if needed, like he did for UAE U19.
Rubel Trumpelmann (Namibia)
Namibian cricketer Rubel Trumpelmann made his international debut in 2021 and is a handy operator with the new ball. He has an impressive economy of 6.62 after representing the African nation in 19 matches, and picked up 12 wickets.
Trumpelmann also packs a punch at No. 8 and is capable of churning out some cameos. The fast bowling all-rounder has shown the potential to be a match-winner when needed for the side.
Gus Atkinson (England)
At 6 foot 2 inches, Gus Atkinson challenges the batters with his extra bounce and had an impressive outing in the T20 Blast 2022, picking up 11 wickets in six matches for Surrey at a terrific average of 14.55. The English pacer means business with the ball and has picked up 33 wickets in 23 T20s so far.
Atkinson featured in the Abu Dhabi T10 League recently for Northern Warriors and garnered great experience of bowling in the UAE conditions.
Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka)
With a Malinga-esque bowling action, Matheesha Pathirana already made his mark in world cricket. The Lankan fast bowler appeared in the ICC U19 World Cup 2022, where he picked up seven wickets in four matches at an average of 27.28 and went on to make his debut for Sri Lanka in T20Is later that year.
Pathirana was roped in by Chennai Super Kings as a replacement for Adam Milne in the IPL 2022 and in his debut against Gujarat Titans, he dismissed Shubman Gill. He became the ninth cricketer in IPL to pick up a wicket off the first ball of his career and is certainly a talent to keep your eyes on when he dons the Vipers jersey.
