West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine has been named captain of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20), slated to be held in UAE next year.

While Narine has the experience of playing in various T20 leagues across the globe, the leadership role is a "new challenge" for him.

"I am very excited to take up the role as captain of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. It is a new challenge, because now I have to think about the functioning of our whole team, rather than just focus on my game or my four overs," Narine said in a statement.

"It is something I am really looking forward to. I have grown on Knight Riders, and Knight Riders have grown on me, so it is like a family. Everywhere they have a team, I love being a part of it. I have played a lot of cricket in the UAE, so I know the conditions pretty well.

"If you look at the ADKR squad, it is a familiar setup, and not a brand new XI that I have to get used to. So that gives me great confidence, knowing the strength of my players. There are a lot of senior guys in the team as well, who I can bounce ideas and information off. It is going to be a lot of fun, it has been a long journey with the Knight Riders family, and I hope it is a never-ending one," he added.

The inaugural edition of ILT20 will get underway on January 13, 2023. The final of the brand-new league will be played on February 12.

The tournament will see six teams facing each other twice during the league-stage encounters. The top four teams will then play one eliminator and two qualifiers to identify the two finalists.