The first ever Gulf T20i Championship cricket competition is to be held in Doha this month.

Taking place at the West End International Cricket Stadium between September 15 and 23, the tournament will see representatives of all the GCC nations – Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and the hosts, Qatar – battling it out over a series of 16 matches to be crowned Gulf champions.

Qatar Cricket Association CEO Khaled Al Suwaidi earlier told reporters that the tournament will be broadcast to around nine countries saying that the event will be a milestone in the region and is expected to achieve great development of the sport.

Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saoud Al Thani, President of Qatar Cricket Association, said: “This tournament will be a testament to the strong bond and cooperation of GCC countries and is planned as an annual feature in the global cricket calendar.”

The championship is held under the auspices of the ICC (International Cricket Council) and, as a reflection of the growing interest in and enthusiasm for the game across the region, the competition is to become an annual event, with hosting duties being rotated across the participating countries.

And, in another boost for cricket fans, it has been revealed that the popular Legends Cricket League tournament, which sees retired greats taking to the field, will return later in the year.

Continuing in its quest for both sporting excellence and inclusion, Qatar will also host the ICC Deaf World Cup – DICC T20 World Cup Qatar 2023 for the first time in the country from December 1 to 12 with the participation of eight nations.

At the end of September, Qatar Cricket is also scheduled to host one of the Asian sub-regional qualifiers for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup with several regional teams aiming to grab a place.✤

GO: VISIT WWW.QATARCRICKETASSOCIATION.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.