The Abu Dhabi T10 League 2021 got off to a winning start on the first day, with Delhi Bulls and Team Abu Dhabi both claiming victories. While the Bulls won Northern Warriors by six wickets, the Abu Dhabi-based side beat Bangla Tigers by 40 runs in the second game of the evening to add two important points to their record.
The Delhi Bulls won the toss and chose to bat first at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi in the first match. The Northern Warriors posted a competitive 107/4 in their limited 10 overs, thanks to counter-strike hits from Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell. The chase for the Bulls got off to a slow start as opener Rilee Rossouw was dispatched for six.
The attack at the top by Rahmanullah Gurbaz covered Rossouw's early exit. He was out in the first over, but not before scoring 30 runs off ten balls. The baton was given to Mohammad Hafeez and Sherfane Rutherford, who got things done with magnificence. In the last over, Romario Shepherd hit a few key boundaries as the Bulls crossed the line with six balls to go.
After the toss landed in their favor in the second game of the night, the Bangla Tigers chose to bowl. The Abu Dhabi-led team, on the other hand, batted excellently, making the Tigers' decision look costly. While Paul Stirling hit a quickfire half-century at the top, Chris Gayle went into classic gear and hit a 23-ball 49 runs.
As Team Abu Dhabi posted a 145/4 in their allotted 10 overs, most of the Bangla bowlers were tacked to cleaners, from James Faulkner to Qais Ahmed. The Tigers' hunt didn't get off to a good start as big guns like Faf du Plessis and Johnson Charles were knocked out cheaply.
While Andre Fletcher and Hazratullah Zazai put up a good fight, the Tigers were never really in danger. As a result, the Abu Dhabi team won by 40 runs.
Those were the words of Tom Moores, the Deccan Gladiators wicketkeeper-batter after he and Andre Russell put on 94 for the fourth wicket in 32 deliveries to help the Deccan Gladiators win the Abu Dhabi T10 over Chennai Braves.