The Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi T10 T10 tournament will take place from November 7 to November 20, 2026. It is a tournament officially owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub ( ADCSH), under the auspices of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Cricket Board. Before the tournament, Royal Desert Champions appointed Nicholas Pooran as both captain and Icon player.
Royal Desert Champions was founded by Amit Narang, a serial entrepreneur and former banker. The franchise has also signed England international Phil Salt and West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford directly, establishing a solid foundation for the team before the player draft.
Nicholas Pooran has stepped away from international cricket and now only plays in franchise leagues around the world. He brings extensive experience from captaining the West Indies National Cricket Team as well as leading franchise teams across multiple leagues. Pooran will contribute his leadership and experience to the new franchise, aiding their development as a team in their inaugural season.
Narang said, “Royal Desert Champions is built on the belief that champions are revealed when conditions are toughest. The desert embodies the qualities we want this team to stand for – resilience, courage, adaptability, and ambition. As the first new founding team of this new Abu Dhabi T10 era, we have the opportunity to create something distinctive from the ground up – a team that the emirate can be proud of, a brand that connects with fans locally and globally, and a franchise with the ambition to build a lasting legacy. With Nicholas leading us, supported by outstanding players such as Phil and Sherfane, we have an exciting core around which to build. We are here to compete, to win and to create something that endures.”
In the Caribbean Premier League ( CPL), Nicholas Pooran leads the Trinbago Knight Riders ( TKR) as captain, succeeding Kieron Pollard ahead of the 2025 season and guiding the team through their 2026 campaign successfully. He also oversees MI New York in the MLC and MI Emirates in the ILT20, respectively.
