Man of the series Abu Dhabi T10 league: Continuing with his purple patch the Sri Lankan superstar was in top notch form throughout the league.
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The Deccan Gladiators are the new champions of the 5th edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 league as they comprehensively decimated the Delhi Bulls by 56 runs in the night of the final at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Having prevailed in the previous three matches against the Gladiators in the tournament so far (including Qualifier 1), the Bulls just couldn’t bring in their ‘A’ game when they needed it the most.
Chasing a mammoth target of 159 posted by the Gladiators in their 10 Overs, the Bulls had all their hopes on their 20-year-old batting sensation- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (14 off 6) to provide them with a fiery start for one last time in the league.
Having struck three consecutive fours off Gladiators’ skipper Wahab Riaz in the very first Over, Gurbaz looked like he meant business, only to be caught at the Square-Leg fence in the next Over by Sherfane Rutherford. The Windies batter Chanderpaul Hemraj (42 off 20) did step on the gas during his brief stay at the crease, but it was never going to be enough with the ever rising required run rate as they could post mere 103/7 after their allotted 10 Overs.
Earlier, the Sheikh Zayed stadium was lit up with the Andre Russell onslaught after the Bulls’ skipper Dwayne Bravo asked the Gladiators to bat first post winning the Toss.
He decimated the Delhi bowlers left, right, and centre, as the bowlers had no answer to the beastly juggernaut, who smashed a total of 90 individual runs off mere 32 deliveries, with the assistance of 9 Fours and 7 monstrous sixes.
His partner-in-crime at the other end- Tom Kohler-Cadmore (59 off 28) too made sure that the intensity of fireworks continued to have a deafening effect as the duo stitched together a 159-run stand for the first wicket- the highest ever in the five editions of the marquee league.
Man of the series Abu Dhabi T10 league: Who won the ‘man of the series’ award?
Having picked up a total of 21 wickets across 12 innings at an average of 9.28, including the record-breaking figures of 5/8 against Bangla Tigers, Deccan Gladiators’s Wanindu Hasaranga ended up as the highest wicket-taker of the league and was fittingly adjudged the ‘Player of the tournament’.
Although Andre Russell hogged all the limelight during the final, it was Hasaranga’s consistent performances that massively assisted the Gladiators to make it through to the finals and ultimately clinch the Silverware.
