Gayle brings star power to Dubai's Kerala Cricket League

Dashing West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has added star power to the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) by becoming its brand ambassador.

The fourth edition of KCL will be held at The Sevens stadium in Dubai from November 13 to December 18.

Gayle distributed team jerseys for the participating teams to kick-start KCL 2015 during an official ceremony held at Al Futtaim Honda Showroom in Dubai Festival City.

KCL is managed by Seashell Events UAE and held under the patronage of Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Cricket Council

"When the KCL team approached me, I was fascinated by the passion they had for the game. This is the sort of energy that I like to see in cricket. These young boys have a lot of cricket in them and I loved their spirit. I am looking forward to the matches and to interacting with the players," said the former West Indies skipper

He said that KCL 2015 was the first of event of its kind that he is supporting outside of West Indies as its ambassador.

With Gayle as the brand ambassador of KCL, cricket in Dubai continues to attract the world’s best cricketing talents.

“It is indeed fascinating to be in Dubai, a city that I love, and to see new talent taking shape here is really interesting. I hope KCL emerges as a launch pad for world-class cricketers,” said Gayle who is the first cricketer to score centuries in all three formats of the game.

Vinod G Pillai, Director of KCL, said: “We are thankful to Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Cricket Council for their support. Our promise is to deliver one month of great cricket by some passionate youngsters who live in the UAE. The presence of Chris Gayle has energised us all to deliver our best.”

Former Trinidadian cricketer Dinanath Ramnarine said: “It is not often that you see community cricket rise to top levels of professionalism. We see that in the Kerala Cricket League and we are looking forward to some great cricketing action here in Dubai.”
 
Ghazi Al Madani, Sport Tourism Manager of Dubai Sports Council,  said: “Chris Gayle’s endorsement of KCL 2015 is a strong testament to the quality of this tournament. Dubai Sports Council is delighted to support this event that has proved its credentials in the past editions. We are happy to be associated with KCL, especially as it coincides with the UAE National Sports Day that falls on November 25.”
 
Shiva Pagarani of the Dubai Cricket Council added: “Dubai Cricket Council is delighted to welcome Chris Gayle for KCL 2015. His presence will be a true inspiration for the participants. The efforts of KCL management in securing such support set a model for other tournaments. We will continue to extend our support to events such as KCL that add to the legacy of Dubai’s cricket scene.”

Colin Cordery, Regional Managing Director of Al Futtaim Honda, said: “It is our honour to welcome Chris Gayle to Al Futtaim Honda. We are always looking for ways to support local sports talent and KCL 2015 is a good fit, which provides a credible platform for new talent to showcase their skills. ‘The Gaylestorm’ will be a great encouragement for the young players.”

KCL has emerged as the most-attended Indian community league tournaments in the UAE. 

Bringing cricket in its exciting Twenty20 format, KCL will feature 16 teams in four groups – each championed by a corporate entity/individual. 

The competing teams stand to win impressive prize money in addition to other privileges offered by sponsors.

The winning team in the final wins a cash prize of Dh75,000 while runner-up takes home Dh45,000 in cash prize.
 
Every day of the match is also marked by colourful events and festivities that appeal to families thus bringing together the community for a month-long celebration of cricket.

All the matches will be played under floodlight from 6pm.

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