A new team has emerged in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, joining the Royal Desert Champions Tournament. The leadership of this team has been entrusted to West Indies star batsman Nicolas Purran. Purran will serve not only as the team captain but also as its iconic player.
The Royal Desert Champions have added two other major names to their starting lineup in the short-format game: Phil Salt from England and all-rounder Sherphen Radford from the West Indies. Thus, the new franchise will possess a strong core of experienced and aggressive T20 players from the outset.
Nicolas Purran officially announced his retirement from international cricket on June 10, 2025, at the age of 29. Since then, he has been playing in franchise leagues worldwide. This player from Trinidad played 167 ODI matches for the West Indies, scoring 1983 runs at an average of 39.66 and a strike rate of 99.15. Furthermore, he scored 2275 runs in 106 T20I matches at a strike rate of 136.39.
Ownership and the staging of the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament are now under government control. Management is carried out through the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH). The founder of Royal Desert Champions is businessman and former banker Amit Narang, who has over 17 years of experience working with major international banks in India and the Emirates. He has also established a successful fintech business in the UAE.