ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE), official broadcasters of the DP World International League T20, has announced an impressive commentary line-up for the third season of the cricket league.
The commentary team for the third season of ILT20 will feature Ian Smith, Ian Bishop, Simon Doull, Virender Sehwag, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Harbhajan Singh, Niall O’Brien and Alan Wilkins. Adding further depth and diversity will be Anjum Chopra, Saba Karim, Rohan Gavaskar, Nikhil Chopra, Daren Ganga, Urooj Mumtaz, Vivek Razdan, Reema Malhotra, and Ajay Mehra.
With their collective experience and fresh perspectives offered in both English and Hindi, the panel is set to enhance the broadcast experience for cricket fans worldwide. Joining them as presenters will be the trio of Laura McGoldrick, Ridhima Pathak, and Arjun Pandit.
ILT20 Season 3 will be launched with an opening ceremony headlined by performances by Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, and Sonam Bajwa, who are set to captivate the spectators at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, 11 January with performances on their songs. Bollywood producer and actor Jackky Bhagnani and Ridhima Pathak will emcee the opening ceremony.
The ceremony will begin at 7:30 pm IST and will be broadcast live through the Zee Network and its syndication partners on linear and digital platforms. The first ball of the season will be delivered at 8:45 IST with the defending champions MI Emirates taking on hosts Dubai Capitals in a rematch of last year’s grand finale.
Ashish Sehgal, chief growth officer – Digital and Broadcast Revenue, ZEE, said: “We are thrilled to unveil our distinguished commentator panel for DP World ILT20 Season 3. The expertise and unique perspectives of our esteemed commentators will elevate the excitement surrounding this premier cricketing event. With the rising stature and global appeal of the league, we are excited to bring this cricketing spectacle for the audience across the world.”
Zee Network’s widely distributed and viewed 15 linear TV channels include: &Pictures SD, &Pictures HD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema 2, Zee Action, Zee Biskope, Zee Zest SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Telugu HD, Zee Thirai, Zee Tamil HD, Zee Kannada HD, Zee Zest HD, &Flix SD and &Flix HD. The DP World ILT20 is also free to view on one of India’s leading OTT platforms – ZEE5.
The six ILT20 franchises have retained T20 superstars like Andre Russell (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Sunil Narine (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Alex Hales (Desert Vipers), Sherfane Rutherford (Desert Vipers), David Warner (Dubai Capitals), Rovman Powell (Dubai Capitals), Chris Jordan (Gulf Giants), Shimron Hetmyer (Gulf Giants), Akeal Hossein (MI Emirates), Nicholas Pooran (MI Emirates), Adil Rashid (Sharjah Warriorz Wildcard Pick in Season 2) and Johnson Charles (Sharjah Warriorz).
England white-ball Jason Roy (Sharjah Warriorz) returns to the league after making two appearances for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders last season. The Sharjah Warriorz has been strengthened further with the inclusion of New Zealand’s Tim Southee, who is set to lead their campaign in his debut season.
Former West Indies captain Jason Holder will appear for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, the all-rounder played for the Dubai Capitals last season.
Additionally, Fakhar Zaman (Desert Vipers), Shai Hope (Dubai Capitals), Lockie Ferguson (Desert Vipers), Roston Chase (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Matthew Wade (Sharjah Warriorz), Ibrahim Zadran (Gulf Giants) and Romario Shepherd (MI Emirates) are set to make their DP World ILT20 debuts in Season 3.
Harbhajan, Shoaib return as brand ambassadors
Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar are set to return for the third edition of ILT20 as the brand ambassadors of the tournament.
Harbhajan, a veteran of the game with over 711 international wickets across formats in his illustrious 18-year career, has been an integral part of the ILT20 since its inception. The 44-year-old also featured on the commentary panel across both seasons.
On the other hand, Shoaib, who has 444 international wickets for Pakistan, has also joined the ILT20 for the second season of the competition and will continue in his role as ambassador.
The upcoming month-long third edition of ILT20 will begin on 11 January, with the finals slated to take place on Sunday, 9 February.
