Gemini Arabians is a team owned by a cricketer from the UAE, Nalin Khaitan. The team committee has put together an excellent team thanks to some very good buys. Muttiah Muralidharan is the team icon while Virender Sehwag will be leading the team in the inaugural season of the MCL.
The team includes Sri Lankan wicketkeeping-batsmen Kumar Sangakkara, Brad Hodge, Richard Levi, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jacques Rudolph, Paul Harris, Graham Onions, Justin Kemp, Saqlain Mushtaq and Ashish Bagai. The team has also bought UAE-based cricketer Saqib Ali. A lot of money has gone into assembling the team with a couple of acquisitions above the $100,000 mark with Richard Levi being their most expensive player, having been bought at an incredible price of $152,000. Kumar Sangakkara and Virender Sehwag, both their marquee players, were bought for a mere $100,000. Naved-ul-Hasan is also a very good buy at $38000, especially with his ability to bowl yorkers at will and experience at bowling at the death.
The Arabians boast of probably the strongest batting lineup in the MCL. Richard Levi coupled with Kumar Sangakkara and Virender Sehwag, would be a deadly trio upfront and cause problems for any bowling attack. Brad Hodge is there to further add to the explosiveness in the team’s batting department, while the likes of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Justin Kemp will add stability to their lower order. All eyes though will be on Muttiah Muralidharan and Saqlain Mushtaq, two of the deadliest spin bowlers the world has ever seen. The responsibility of taking wickets lies in the hands of Kyle Mills and Graham Onions, and will be supported by Naved-ul-Hasan with his more than handy medium pace bowling.
The only weakness for the team seems to be in the department of all-rounders with Justin Kemp being the only candidate there. The team has appointed Andrew Sherlock as their assistant coach, while Virender Sehwag has been given the additional responsibility of being team director. Needless to say, the Nawab of Najafgarh, Virender Sehwag is very happy with his squad, and is eagerly waiting forward for the tournament kickoff against Libra Legends who will miss the presence of team captain Sourav Ganguly on the 28th of January 2016 in Dubai.