Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan will lead Desert Vipers in the 2026 Global Super League, set to begin on July 23. The decision comes after the Vipers’ originally announced captain, Chris Green, was ruled out of the tournament with an injury to his hand, which he picked up during his county stint with Lancashire.
Rossouw comes in for Green
South African batter Rilee Rossouw will fill in for Green in the team, while Shadab will take his captaincy duties. The Pakistan player boasts significant captaincy experience, having led his Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, Islamabad United, in eight seasons so far.
Besides PSL, Shadab is also an active franchise player, having been a part of several teams across leagues including Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Lanka Premier League (LPL), International League T20 (ILT20), The Hundred, Major League Cricket (MLC), Big Bash League (BBL) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Desert Vipers will begin their GSL 2026 campaign with a game against PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars on July 25 at Providence Stadium. This will be the first time that the Vipers, who won the latest ILT20 edition, will feature in the GSL.
Updated Desert Vipers squad for GSL 2026:
Andries Gous, Vritty Aravind, Zachary Carter, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Mayers, Daryl Mitchell, Shadab Khan (c), Sanjay Pahal, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Rilee Rossouw, Jason Behrendorff, Khary Pierre, Ramon Simmonds and Mattiullah Khan.
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