On the eve of Qualifier 2 at the DP World ILT20 Season 3, batting legend and commentator Virender Sehwag vouched to witness thrilling contest between Sharjah Warriorz and Desert Vipers on Friday, at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The winner of this match will take on Dubai Capitals in the final on Sunday, 9th February to be played at the Dubai International Stadium.

Emphasising on the wickets here in UAE that are tailor-made for scoring big runs, Sehwag said, “UAE stadiums have some of the best batting tracks. Though I didn’t have the opportunity to play a lot here, I did play a couple of games for India and during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and I absolutely enjoyed batting here in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.”

“Hopefully the next two games (Qualifier 2 and Final) will be a cracker. The match between Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers went down to the last ball and I am sure the next two games will be thrilling contest too.”

Having been part of the DP World ILT20 as a commentator since its inception, Sehwag highlighted the growth of this league and factors that makes it one of the top cricket leagues in the world. “I think the DP World ILT20 is one of the best leagues. Like IPL is good for the development of Indian cricket, similarly, DP World ILT20 is good for UAE players and the Middle East. But the good part is that you can’t see nine international players playing in one team in any other league.”

He further added, “This is the third year for me in DP World ILT20 as a commentator. And I’m seeing that a lot of good international players are coming and playing this league, which is benefitting UAE’s youngsters. They’re getting good experience with international players. And this year, if you look at all the matches, they have been very close and very interesting and there were a lot of games that saw 200-plus runs being scored too.”

On being asked if there was any batter, he would love to have a partnership going here in the DP World ILT20, Sehwag named Australia’s David Warner who scored a blistering 93 unbeaten against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to put the Dubai Capitals in the play-offs.

When asked if he would like to see Indian players in this league, he said, “I would love to see Indian players here. If any Indian player who has just retired from International cricket or IPL and if they want to play, like Dinesh Karthik is playing right now, it would be great, I would love to see Indian cricketers play here and if there was one player I would have particularly liked to watch here is the sixer-man Yuvraj Singh,” he signed off.

The dawn of February 5 will mark a new chapter for padel in India as the World Padel League makes its much-anticipated debut at the Nesco Center in Mumbai. ‘The Greatest Show on Court!’, set to take place until February 8, will bring together 32 of the world’s top padel players on Indian soil. They will compete across four teams – Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers, SG Pipers Cheetahs, Game Changers Lions, and Vernost Jaguars – with each team featuring a strong lineup of eight players, including five men and three women, along with a coach/captain.

Padel in India has seen a significant rise in participation and expanding infrastructure across major cities, with people of various age categories actively engaging in the sport. With support from the Indian Padel Federation (IPF), the Meteora Developers World Padel League – owned by ID Info Business Services Ltd. and powered by Maisour – will further inspire sports enthusiasts and contribute to the sport’s growing popularity in India.

SOLID SQUADS

The line-ups for all four teams are boasts a combination of elite talent and global rankings that promise high-level competition.

1. Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers
   Male: Carlos Daniel Gutierrez (World No. 19), Javier Barahona (World No. 29), Javier Leal (World No. 31), Javier Garcia (World No. 33), Rama Valenzuela (World No. 77)
   Female: Marta Ortega (World No. 7), Sofia Araujo (World No. 8), Marina Guinart (World No. 22)
2. SG Pipers Cheetahs
   Male: Francisco Guerrero (World No. 21), Juanlu Esbri (World No. 25), Enrique Goenaga (World No. 42), Teodoro Zapata (World No. 35), Pol Hernandez (World No. 65)
   Female: Claudia Fernandez (World No. 3), Beatriz Gonzalez (World No. 6), Julieta Bidahorria (World No. 35)
3. Game Changers Lions
   Male: Jon Sanz (World No. 9), Jairo Bautista (World No. 22), Gonzalo Rubio (World No. 38), Pablo Lijo (World No. 47), Daniel Santigosa (World No. 73)
   Female: Veronica Virseda (World No. 12), Aranzazu Osoro (World No. 18), Carla Mesa (World No. 32)
4. Vernost Jaguars
   Male: Alejandro Arroyo (World No. 18), Lucas Campagnolo (World No. 26), Maximiliano Sanchez (World No. 23), Aris Patiniotis (World No. 51), David Gala Sanchez (World No. 76)
   Female: Alejandra Salazar (World No. 15), Tamara Icardo (World No. 17), María Virginia Riera (World No. 19)

EXCITING MATCH-UPS

The World Padel League will kickstart with a thrilling opener as the Vernost Jaguars face Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers. In the second match of the opening day, SG Pipers Cheetahs will take on Game Changers Lions.

On the second day, Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers will meet SG Pipers Cheetahs in the first match of the day, followed by a clash between Vernost Jaguars and Game Changers Lions. The league stage concludes on February 7, with Game Changers Lions taking on Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers in the first match and the SG Pipers Cheetahs facing Vernost Jaguars in the second. The top two teams from the overall points table will compete in the finals on February 8.

FORMAT, SCORING and POINTS SYSTEM

The tournament will follow a single round-robin (all-play-all) format, with each team playing against every other team during the three league stage days, before the top two teams advance to the finals. Each match will comprise four sets: two men’s doubles, one women’s doubles, and one mixed doubles.

The scoring follows the same format as tennis: the first point is 15, the second point is 30, the third point is 40, and the fourth point wins the game. In the case of a deuce, a ‘Golden Point’ will be played to decide the winner.

During the group phase, if two teams are tied on points, the head-to-head record, based on the number of games won between the two teams, will determine the ranking. If three teams are level on points, the percentage of games won will be used to decide the order. In the case of a tie after the final match, a Super Shootout will be played to determine the winner.

The same doubles pair that played the fourth set will continue in the Super Shootout. It will be played first-to-10 points, with sudden death at 9-9.

WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH

Each day will feature two matches (at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM IST). The final will be held on Saturday, February 8 with the game starting at 6:30 PM IST.

The World Padel League will be broadcast to a global audience, reaching to various countries. Sports enthusiasts can catch the action live on:

Styx sports: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal
Myco: GCC, Egypt, Pakistan
India: Sony Sports Ten 1; Fancode (OTT)
Padel TV: Scandinavia and UK

Muscat: A historic moment for Oman as the Elite Sports Club, in collaboration with the Skating Association of Oman, hosted the country’s inaugural International Skating Championship at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Stadium.

The event saw impressive performances, particularly from Rithu Vinu (7), Ishaan Krishna (9), Jia Jijesh (14), and Abhinav Ratheesh (12)—all from the UAE. Under the guidance of coach Jude (Senior category), these young skaters dominated the competition, clinching gold medals in all three categories: 100 meters, 400 meters, and 1 kilometer.

The championship featured fierce competition, with skaters from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the UAE, and Iran vying for top honors.