Abu Dhabi T10 League 2019: Team of the season
The third edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 League came to a close on 24th November as the Maratha Arabians clinched their maiden title courtesy of a dominating 8-wicket win over the Deccan Gladiators.
With both the Arabians and the Gladiators picking up two wins from three matches in the group stages, the two teams were certainly favourites to make the finals of the competition ahead of the Super League stages.
While the Arabians and the Qalandars took the top two spots from the Super League stage, the Deccan Gladiators and Bangla Tigers booked the last two spots in the playoffs, setting up an interesting set of clashes in the knockout stages.
Chris Lynn's 30-ball 67 took the Arabians straight to the finals post a 7-wicket win against the Qalandars in the first qualifier, while the Gladiators beat the Tigers in the eliminator match before triumphing over the Qalandars in the second qualifier to book their spot in the summit clash.
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However, the final turned out to be a lop-sided affair as the Arabians bowlers restricted the Gladiators to just 87-8 from 10 overs. A half-century from Chadwick Walton (26-ball 51*) helped the Arabians make short work of the 88-run target, chasing it down in just 7.2 overs to seal a comfortable win and with that, the Arabians' maiden T10 League title.
With the third edition of the T10 League producing some quality matches and unmatched entertainment, we take a look at the top players who form the team of the season.
Openers - Chris Lynn and Shane Watson(C)
Chris Lynn - M: 8, Runs: 371, Avg: 53.00, SR: 236.30
Shane Watson - M:9, Runs: 237, Avg: 33.85, SR: 170.50
One of the most destructive openers in the game, Chris Lynn was at his absolute best and made quite a mark with his big-hitting, finishing with 371 runs from 8 matches at a strike rate of 236.30. Although he started slowly with just 24 runs from the first two matches, Lynn decimated Team Abu Dhabi in the 11th match of the season with a 30-ball 91* that set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
On the back of two more half-centuries in the group stages and a 30-ball 67 against the Qalandars in the first qualifier, he helped his side book a spot in the finals. Although Lynn scored just a 10-ball 16 in the summit clash, the Australian's proficiency at the top of the order was one of the highlights of the Arabians' title win.
Yet another Australian who made a big impact was Shane Watson, who accumulated 237 runs from 9 matches at a strike rate of 170.50 for the Deccan Gladiators. Watson began the tournament on a fine note, with a half-century against the Delhi Bulls followed by a match-winning 25-ball 41 against the Bangla Tigers.
While he fell for a rare duck against the Tuskers, he contributed with a vital 15-ball 30 in the 24-run win against the Qalandars and put up a top knock against the Northern Warriors as he smashed a 35-ball 75*, albeit in a losing cause.