The game’s shortest form has yet to be fully taken on board by the cricketing world, but the Abu Dhabi T10 league is the biggest of its kind. Here’s a guide to how it works. You will learn the Abu Dhabi T10 History, Format, and Winners List here.
History of the Abu Dhabi T10
The Abu Dhabi T10 is a ten-overs-a-side tournament in the UAE. It was first held in 2017 and has since become a regular fixture on the cricketing circuit.
T10 cricket has yet to become as popular as T20, but the Abu Dhabi League has a strong following, and it’s generally accepted that this is the biggest tournament of its kind.
Tournament Format
The Abu Dhabi T10 League starts with a group stage where all teams involved will play each other twice. After that sequence of games, the four best-performing teams will enter a series of playoffs.
This stage involves two qualifiers and an eliminator. The first qualifier features the top two teams from the groups, and the winner of that match goes straight through to the final.
The eliminator follows. This is played between the third and fourth-placed teams. The loser of that match is eliminated and plays no further part in the tournament. The winner of the game progresses to the second qualifier, where they will play the loser of the first fixture.
The second qualifier’s winner meets the first qualifier’s winner in the final.
It may sound complicated when written down on paper, but it’s a common system that mirrors that of the IPL and other T20 competitions. In reality, it’s very easy to follow.
How Many Teams are in the Abu Dhabi T10?
The 2022 edition of the league sees the tournament expanded to eight teams for the first time. In the 2021/22 competition, just six teams were involved, which had been the case since the first Abu Dhabi T10 in 2017.
Lots of sides have come and gone in five short years. Regarding fluid changes to the roster, nothing comes close to the Abu Dhabi T10, and it needs some stability from 2022.
Abu Dhabi T10 Current Teams
Eight teams are lined up to participate in the next edition of the Abu Dhabi T10. Those sides are:
- Team Abu Dhabi
- Chennai Braves
- Bangla Tigers
- New York Strikers
- Deccan Gladiators
- Delhi Bulls
- Northern Warriors
- Morrisville Samp Army
Winners
2017
The 2017 edition of the League was won by the Kerala Kings, who beat the Punjabi Legends by eight wickets in the final.
2018
In 2018, the Northern Warriors won their first-ever Abu Dhabi T10 title. The Warriors scored 140/3 in their 10 overs, which was too much for the Pakhtoons, who made 118/7 to lose by 22 runs in reply.
2019
Maratha Arabians won the Abu Dhabi T10 title in 2019. In the final, the Arabians restricted the Deccan Gladiators to 87/8 from their ten overs. Maratha passed their target with eight wickets and 16 balls to spare.
2021
The next edition of the League took place in 2021, and it was won by the Northern Warriors, who claimed their second title.
In the final, the Warriors took on the Delhi Bulls, who were put into bat and made just 81/9 from their ten overs. Northern Warriors replied with 85/2, winning the game by eight wickets with eight balls remaining.
2021–22
The Delhi Bulls were the beaten finalists once again as the League returned in the 2021/22 season. Deccan Gladiators emerged with the trophy as they claimed their first title.
In the final, Deccan made 159 without losing a wicket as Andre Russell blasted 90 from just 32 balls. It was too much for Delhi, who struggled to 103/7 in reply.
Conclusion
Constant changes to the team names have made the Abu Dhabi T10 a little hard to follow. Hopefully, from 2022 onwards, the new format with its eight confirmed sides will not be changing again shortly.
This can be an exciting form of the game with big totals, and if it can enjoy that stability, the League will go from strength to strength.
