2025–26 International League T20
Fourth season of ILT20
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025–26 International League T20, also known as DP World ILT20 2025–26 for sponsorship reasons, was the fourth season of the International League T20, a professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates, organised by the Emirates Cricket Board. This edition of the tournament started on 2 December 2025 and the final was played on 4 January 2026.[1][2][3] Dubai Capitals were the defending champions.[4]
Dates2 December 2025 – 4 January 2026
AdministratorEmirates Cricket Board
Cricket formatTwenty20
Tournament format(s)Double round-robin and Playoffs
| |
| Dates | 2 December 2025 – 4 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Emirates Cricket Board |
| Cricket format | Twenty20 |
| Tournament format(s) | Double round-robin and Playoffs |
| Champions | Desert Vipers (1st title) |
| Runners-up | MI Emirates |
| Participants | 6 |
| Matches | 34 |
| Player of the series | Sam Curran (Desert Vipers) |
| Most runs | Sam Curran (397) (Desert Vipers) |
| Most wickets | Waqar Salamkheil (18) (Dubai Capitals) Ajay Kumar (18) (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) |
| Official website | www |
In the final, Desert Vipers defeated MI Emirates by 46 runs to win their maiden title.[5]
Background
The fourth season of the International League T20 (ILT20) began on 2 December 2025, UAE National Day – which was one of the most important days on the UAE calendar, earlier than usual to avoid clash with the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup in February. The tournament was concluded on 4 January 2026.[6][7] The revised schedule also helped to reduce overlap with other T20 leagues like SA20, Big Bash League, and BPL.
Player auction
The teams had a purse of USD 2 million, out of which USD 1.2 million could be used for retention and direct signings. USD 800,000 and any leftover amount from retention and direct signings can be used in auction, with a minimum of USD 1.5 million needed to be spend.
Each franchise is allowed to build a squad of 19 to 21 players, excluding wildcard picks. Squad composition rules require a minimum of 11 players from ICC Full Member nations, four from the UAE, one each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and two from other Associate Member countries. Teams are also permitted to sign up to two wildcard players after the auction, with a separate budget of USD 250,000 for such additions.
The player auction was held in Jumeirah, Dubai on 1 October 2025.[8] Zee Entertainment (Zee5) has been awarded as the Global Broadcast Partner for the 2025-26 ILT20 - International League T20.[9]
Squads
Retained players were announced on 7 July 2025.[10][11]
The squads of all teams are as below:[12]
Venues
| United Arab Emirates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Sharjah | Abu Dhabi |
| Dubai International Cricket Stadium | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium |
| Capacity: 25,000 | Capacity: 16,000 | Capacity: 20,000 |
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Teams and standings
Points table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert Vipers (C) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0.438 | Advance to Qualifier 1 |
| 2 | MI Emirates (R) | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0.676 | |
| 3 | Dubai Capitals (4th) | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0.578 | Advance to Eliminator |
| 4 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (3rd) | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | −0.559 | |
| 5 | Gulf Giants | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | −0.310 | Eliminated |
| 6 | Sharjah Warriorz | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | −0.815 |
Match summary
| Win | Loss | No result |
- Note: The total points at the end of each group match are listed.
- Note: Click on the points (group matches) or W/L (playoffs) to see the match summary.
| Visitor team → | ADKR | DV | DC | GG | MIE | SW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home team ↓ | ||||||
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Abu Dhabi 1 run | Dubai 9 runs | Abu Dhabi 4 wickets | Emirates 7 wickets | Sharjah 4 wickets | |
| Desert Vipers | Vipers 2 wickets | Vipers 5 wickets | Vipers Super Over | Emirates 4 wickets | Vipers 4 wickets | |
| Dubai Capitals | Dubai 83 runs | Vipers 4 wickets | Giants 4 wickets | Emirates 7 runs | Dubai 6 wickets | |
| Gulf Giants | Abu Dhabi 32 runs | Vipers 8 wickets | Dubai 6 wickets | Giants 6 wickets | Giants 6 wickets | |
| MI Emirates | Emirates 35 runs | Vipers 1 run | Emirates 8 wickets | Emirates 8 wickets | Sharjah 6 runs | |
| Sharjah Warriorz | Abu Dhabi 39 runs | Vipers 5 wickets | Dubai 63 runs | Sharjah 11 runs | Emirates 4 runs |
| Home team won | Visitor team won |
- Note: Results listed are according to the home (horizontal) and visitor (vertical) teams.
- Note: Click on a result to see a summary of the match.
League stage
Dubai Capitals 150/8 (20 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 151/6 (19 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 233/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Sharjah Warriorz 194/9 (20 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to field.
- Raees Ahmed (Sharjah Warriorz) and Ajay Kumar (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) both made their T20 debuts.
MI Emirates 163/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Gulf Giants 164/4 (14.4 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
- Haider Razzaq (Gulf Giants) made his T20 debut.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 171/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 175/8 (19.3 overs) |
Shimron Hetmyer 48 (25) Ajay Kumar 3/21 (4 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals 160/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Gulf Giants 161/6 (18.5 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
MI Emirates 185/8 (20 overs) |
v |
Sharjah Warriorz 181/7 (20 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to field.
- Wasim Akram (Sharjah Warriorz) made his T20 debut.
- Sikandar Raza (Sharjah Warriorz) hit his 300th six in T20s.
Dubai Capitals 186/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 103 (15.3 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Gulf Giants 179/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 179/9 (20 overs) |
Pathum Nissanka 56 (29) Khuzaima Tanveer 2/23 (4 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
- Super Over: Desert Vipers 13/1, Gulf Giants 9/0.
Desert Vipers 159/4 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 158/9 (20 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Sharjah Warriorz 157/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Gulf Giants 158/4 (19.4 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 122 (19.3 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 123/3 (13.5 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Gulf Giants 157/7 (20 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 158/2 (16.5 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals 196/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 187/8 (20 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Sharjah Warriorz 174/3 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 168/5 (20 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
- Matheesha Pathirana (Sharjah Warriorz) played his 100th T20 match.
Dubai Capitals 166/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 171/5 (19.4 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
- Desert Vipers qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Sharjah Warriorz 174/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Gulf Giants 163/9 (20 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 181/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 180/6 (20 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
MI Emirates 137/8 (20 overs) |
v |
Dubai Capitals 130 (20 overs) |
- Dubai Capitals won the toss and elected to field.
Gulf Giants 165/7 (20 overs) |
v |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 167/6 (19.2 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals 180/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Sharjah Warriorz 117 (17 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 187/4 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 152 (20 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Sharjah Warriorz 90 (17.5 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 91/6 (13.5 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to bat.
Gulf Giants 156 (19.5 overs) |
v |
Dubai Capitals 162/4 (19.2 overs) |
- Dubai Capitals won the toss and elected to field.
Desert Vipers 124/7 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 128/6 (17.3 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 134/9 (20 overs) |
v |
Sharjah Warriorz 135/6 (20 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bat.
Gulf Giants 141/6 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 142/2 (16.3 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
- MI Emirates qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Sharjah Warriorz 134/8 (20 overs) |
v |
Dubai Capitals 138/4 (19.1 overs) |
- Dubai Capitals won the toss and elected to field.
- Dubai Capitals qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Sharjah Warriorz 140/7 (20 overs) |
v |
Desert Vipers 144/5 (19.3 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals 122/8 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 126/2 (16.4 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 179/1 (20 overs) |
v |
Gulf Giants 147/9 (20 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Play-offs
Bracket
| Qualifier 1 | Qualifier 2 | Final | |||||||||||
| 30 December 2025 — Abu Dhabi | 4 January 2026 — Dubai | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Desert Vipers | 233/1 (20 overs) | Q1W | Desert Vipers | 182/4 (20 overs) | ||||||||
| 2 | MI Emirates | 188/7 (20 overs) | 2 January 2026 — Sharjah | Q2W | MI Emirates | 136 (18.3 overs) | |||||||
| Q1L | MI Emirates | 122/3 (16.1 overs) | |||||||||||
| Eliminator | EW | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 120/8 (20 overs) | ||||||||||
| 1 January 2026 — Dubai | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Dubai Capitals | 108 (16.2 overs) | |||||||||||
| 4 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 158/7 (20 overs) | |||||||||||
Qualifier 1
Desert Vipers 233/1 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 188/7 (20 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Eliminator
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 158/7 (20 overs) |
v |
Dubai Capitals 108 (16.2 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bat.
Qualifier 2
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 120/8 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 122/3 (16.1 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Final
Desert Vipers 182/4 (20 overs) |
v |
MI Emirates 136 (18.3 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Statistics
| Runs | Player | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 397 | Sam Curran | Desert Vipers | |||||||
| 370 | Muhammad Waseem | MI Emirates | |||||||
| 359 | Max Holden | Desert Vipers | |||||||
| 327 | Tom Banton | MI Emirates | |||||||
| 321 | Jordan Cox | Dubai Capitals | |||||||
| Source: ESPNcricinfo | |||||||||
| Wickets | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Waqar Salamkheil | Dubai Capitals |
| Ajay Kumar | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | |
| 17 | Khuzaima Tanveer | Desert Vipers |
| David Payne | Desert Vipers | |
| 15 | Jason Holder | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders |
| Source: ESPNcricinfo | ||
| Award | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Sam Curran | Desert Vipers |
| Best UAE player | Muhammad Waseem | MI Emirates |
Notes
- Ferguson was ruled out of the season due to injury; Sam Curran took over as captain of the Desert Vipers.
- Shimron Hetmyer got ruled out of a part of the season due to hamstring injury, and he was replaced by Jason Roy.[13]
- Ritesh Grandhi got ruled out of the season, and he was replaced by Mustafizur Rahman.
- Tymal Mills got ruled out and he was replaced by Dushmantha Chameera.
- Blessing Muzarabani got ruled out of the season due to injury, and he was replaced by Nuwan Thushara.
- Ramon Simmonds got ruled out of the season due to injury, and he was replaced by Pathum Nissanka.
- Jordan Thompson got ruled out of the season due to injury, and he was replaced by Rashid Khan.[14]
- Mustafizur Rahman got ruled out of a part of the season, and he was replaced by Kaleem Sana.
- Nuwan Thushara got ruled out of a part of the season due to national duty, and he was replaced by Ali Khan.
- Pathum Nissanka got ruled out of a part of the season due to national duty, and he was replaced by Jordan Clark.