‘I hope and pray he doesn’t win it,’ jokes Sky Sports pundit as pal makes Premier League Darts line-up

DARTS hero Glen Durrant "hopes and prays" former rival Chris Dobey doesn't win the Premier League.

The pair battled on the oche many times, with their most high-profile meeting taking place at the 2020 World Darts Championship when Durrant, 54, knocked Dobey, 34, out in the fourth round.

Duzza stepped away from professional darts in 2022 and has since worked as a pundit for Sky Sports.

Dobey, on the other hand, enjoyed an impressive World Darts Championship campaign as he made it all the way to the semi-finals

The Bedlington thrower was eliminated by eventual runner-up Michael van Gerwen but his display earned him a place in the Premier League of Darts.

Durrant congratulated Dobey but his praise was followed by a tongue in cheek post on social media.

The veteran jokingly stated he will be rooting against his former foe next month.

Durrant posted: “So happy for @Dobey180….. I just hope and pray he doesn’t win it though !!”

But this was just innocent banter as Durrant and Dobey are actually good friends away from darts.

Middlesbrough fan Durrant was probably just adding fuel to their North East rivalry, with Dobey a Newcastle supporter.

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Durrant said six years ago: "Chris is just the nicest man in the world and it would be great to have Middlesbrough vs Newcastle.

"To play Chris - he's up there with Steve Beaton and Dave Chisnall. He's just the nicest guy - nobody has a bad word to say about him."

Dobey will be joined by other darts stars in the Prem, such as Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price and Stephen Bunting.

He will also be going up against Luke Littler after he became the youngest ever world champion at the age of 17.