ILT20 Season 5: Full Schedule, Squads and Star Players

The DP World International League T20 is back, and Season 5 is the biggest one yet. The ILT20 2026 schedule runs from Saturday, November 21 to Sunday, December 20, 2026, with 34 matches across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The tournament has moved to a November-December window to avoid clashing with other global T20 leagues, and the six franchises have built some of the strongest squads the league has ever seen.

The season opens with a final rematch: the defending champion Desert Vipers take on MI Emirates in Dubai on November 21. The Vipers beat MI Emirates in the Season 4 final to win their maiden title, and the two sides will renew the rivalry on the very first night of Season 5. With 34 matches, six venues spread over three cities, and a star-studded auction behind them, this guide covers the full ILT20 2026 schedule, every team squad, the star players to watch, and the ticket and venue details.

From Babar Azam making his ILT20 debut to Fazalhaq Farooqi becoming the most expensive player in league history, Season 5 has storylines at every turn. Here is everything you need to know before the first ball of the ILT20 2026 schedule.

Season 5 Opener: A Final Rematch on Night One

The ILT20 2026 schedule could not have asked for a better opening night. On Saturday, November 21, the Desert Vipers will walk out as the defending champions against the very team they beat in the Season 4 final: MI Emirates. The match starts at 6:30 pm UAE time at the Dubai International Stadium, and it sets the tone for a month of high-stakes T20 cricket in the Emirates.

The opening weekend is a feast for fans. On Sunday, November 22, there is a double-header: the Dubai Capitals face the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while the Gulf Giants take on the Sharjah Warriorz. That means all six teams will have played within the first two days of the tournament, and the points table will already start taking shape before the first week is over.

The Vipers have loaded their squad with Pakistan firepower for the title defence. Babar Azam will make his ILT20 debut in Season 5, joining Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan, all of whom were secured at their USD 80,000 base price in the October 1 auction. MI Emirates, meanwhile, smashed the league auction record to bring back Fazalhaq Farooqi for USD 380,000, and they will be desperate to avenge the Season 4 final defeat on opening night.

The league stage is compressed into 24 calendar days, from November 21 to December 14, and six dates carry double-headers: November 22, 28 and 29, and December 2, 6 and 13. Every team plays ten league matches, and the top four go through to the playoffs. The Qualifier 1 is set for December 16 in Abu Dhabi, the Eliminator for December 17 in Dubai, Qualifier 2 for December 18 in Sharjah, and the final for December 20 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Match	Date	Venue	Start time
Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates	Nov 21, 2026	Dubai International Stadium	6:30 pm UAE
Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Nov 22, 2026	Dubai International Stadium	Afternoon and evening
Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriorz	Nov 22, 2026	To be confirmed	Afternoon and evening
Qualifier 1	Dec 16, 2026	Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi	Evening
Eliminator	Dec 17, 2026	Dubai International Stadium	Evening
Qualifier 2	Dec 18, 2026	Sharjah Cricket Stadium	Evening
Final	Dec 20, 2026	Dubai International Stadium	6:30 pm UAE

ILT20 2026 Schedule, Format and Venues

The full ILT20 2026 schedule features 34 matches: thirty league games and four playoffs. The tournament format is a double round-robin followed by the playoffs, which means each of the six franchises plays ten league matches. The top four teams on the points table qualify for the playoffs, and the season ends with the final on December 20 at the Dubai International Stadium.

One of the biggest changes for Season 5 is the window. On April 13, 2026, the Emirates Cricket Board confirmed that the tournament would move to a November-December slot, continuing the shift away from the January-February window used in the first three editions. The move was designed to avoid overlapping with other global T20 leagues such as the SA20, and it gives the ILT20 a clear run at the calendar.

Matches will be played at three venues: the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. Dubai hosts the most matches, including the final, while each team has a designated home ground. Afternoon matches start at 2:00 pm UAE time and evening matches at 6:30 pm UAE time, so fans in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh get convenient prime-time viewing for most games.

Season detail	Information
Dates	Nov 21 to Dec 20, 2026
Teams	6 franchises
Matches	34, thirty league plus four playoffs
League matches per team	10
Venues	Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah
Opening match	Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates, Nov 21, Dubai
Final	Dec 20, Dubai International Stadium
Defending champions	Desert Vipers

Season 5 Squads: Every Team and Its Star Players

The October 1 player auction at the ICC Academy Indoors in Dubai reshaped all six squads for Season 5. More than two hundred players from twenty three countries went under the hammer, and the franchises spent big on international stars while meeting strict squad rules: eighteen to twenty three players per squad, with minimum quotas for UAE players, Afghanistan players and other Associate nations. The result is six deep, balanced squads with genuine match-winners in every dressing room.

The Desert Vipers, the defending champions, have the most eye-catching batting lineup. Captain Babar Azam leads a Pakistan core of Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Shimron Hetmyer, Dan Lawrence and Andries Gous completing the overseas spine. On October 16 the Vipers confirmed Hassan Nawaz as the replacement for Aneurin Donald, who withdrew after his selection for the T20I series of England in Australia. Hassan returns to the franchise after featuring in the title-winning campaign, so the champions have barely missed a beat.

MI Emirates are built around their record buy. Fazalhaq Farooqi returns for a fifth consecutive season after the USD 380,000 deal, and he will lead an attack that also features Rashid Khan and Chris Jordan. Captain Nicholas Pooran anchors the batting with Jonny Bairstow, Romario Shepherd, Sherfane Rutherford and Muhammad Waseem, who became the most expensive UAE player in league history after the franchise used its Right-to-Match card to retain him for USD 210,000.

The other four squads are just as strong. The Dubai Capitals are led by Faf du Plessis, who was bought for USD 300,000, and feature Phil Salt, Marcus Stoinis, Noor Ahmad, Mustafizur Rahman and Rovman Powell. The Gulf Giants spent the biggest at the auction, landing Liam Livingstone for USD 350,000 and retaining Rahmanullah Gurbaz for USD 310,000 through Right-to-Match, with Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai and Alzarri Joseph completing a fearsome core under head coach Simon Helmot. The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have Finn Allen, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder and Moeen Ali, while the Sharjah Warriorz are led by James Vince with Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Nabi, Adil Rashid and Adam Milne.

Team	Captain and coach	Star players
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo	Finn Allen, Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali, Andre Fletcher
Desert Vipers	Babar Azam, James Foster	Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Dubai Capitals	Faf du Plessis, Hemang Badani	Phil Salt, Marcus Stoinis, Noor Ahmad, Mustafizur Rahman
Gulf Giants	Jos Buttler, Simon Helmot	Liam Livingstone, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller
MI Emirates	Nicholas Pooran, Mark Boucher	Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan, Jonny Bairstow, Muhammad Waseem
Sharjah Warriorz	James Vince, Adrian Birrell	Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Nabi, Adil Rashid, Adam Milne

Star Players to Watch in Season 5

Babar Azam is the name on every poster. The Pakistan captain will make his ILT20 debut in Season 5 after the Desert Vipers picked him up at his USD 80,000 base price, and the defending champions will expect him to anchor the innings in the big games. With Fakhar Zaman at the other end and Naseem Shah with the new ball, the Vipers have built their title defence around the biggest stars of Pakistan, and the Dubai crowds will turn out in huge numbers to watch them.

Fazalhaq Farooqi carries the weight of the record price tag. MI Emirates paid USD 380,000 for the Afghanistan left-arm pacer, smashing the previous record of USD 260,000, and he was a central figure in the title win of MI Emirates in Season 2 with seventeen wickets in eight matches at an economy of 7.66. With Rashid Khan operating alongside him, MI Emirates have the most dangerous spin and pace combination in the tournament, and the powerplay spells of Farooqi could decide the season.

Liam Livingstone is the x-factor of the Gulf Giants. The England all-rounder went for USD 350,000, the second-highest price of the auction, and his ability to clear any boundary in the world makes him the most feared middle-order hitter in the competition. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, retained for USD 310,000, gives the Giants an explosive keeper-batter at the top, while Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller add South African steel. If the Giants’ batting clicks, no total will feel safe.

Do not forget the evergreens. Sunil Narine remains the most valuable T20 cricketer in the world for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Faf du Plessis brings winning pedigree to the Dubai Capitals, Nicholas Pooran leads MI Emirates with the bat and the armband, and Sikandar Raza does a bit of everything for the Sharjah Warriorz. Add Phil Salt, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow to that list, and Season 5 has more star power per squad than any previous edition.

Player	Team	Role	Why watch
Babar Azam	Desert Vipers	Batter, captain	ILT20 debut for the defending champions
Fazalhaq Farooqi	MI Emirates	Left-arm pacer	Record USD 380,000 buy
Liam Livingstone	Gulf Giants	All-rounder	USD 350,000, biggest hitter in the league
Rashid Khan	MI Emirates	Leg-spinner	World-class wicket-taker
Faf du Plessis	Dubai Capitals	Batter, captain	USD 300,000, proven winner
Sunil Narine	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	All-rounder	Mystery spin and powerplay hitting
Rahmanullah Gurbaz	Gulf Giants	Wicketkeeper-batter	USD 310,000 via Right-to-Match
Sikandar Raza	Sharjah Warriorz	All-rounder	Does everything for his team

ILT20 Season 5 Tickets and Prices

Tickets for Season 5 are on sale now, and the prices make the ILT20 one of the most affordable top-level T20 leagues in the world to attend. Adult tickets start at Dhs 20 for league and playoff matches, while tickets for children start at Dhs 10. Final tickets are priced at Dhs 30, which is remarkable value for a championship decider featuring the biggest names in the game.

Families are well looked after. Children under five enter free without occupying their own seat, and the Sixes Lounge family pass is priced at Dhs 500 for league and playoff matches, rising to Dhs 650 for the final. With the UAE National Day double-header on December 2 and the opening match on November 21 expected to sell out first, fans should book early through the official ILT20 ticketing website or Platinumlist.

Physical box offices in Dubai and Sharjah are scheduled to open on November 14, giving fans who prefer to buy in person a chance to pick up tickets before the tournament starts. Online tickets are available through the official ILT20 ticketing website and Platinumlist, and the advice from the league is simple: buy only on the official platforms, because tickets from resellers or unofficial sites may not be valid at the gate.

Ticket type	League and playoffs	Final
Adult general stand	From Dhs 20	Dhs 30
Child, age 6 to 16	From Dhs 10	Dhs 30
Child under 5	Free	Free
Sixes Lounge family pass	Dhs 500	Dhs 650

What Makes Season 5 Different

Season 5 is a statement of intent from the ILT20. The move to the November-December window puts the league in a clear calendar slot, the auction model with a USD 1.3 million purse per franchise has created genuine squad-building drama, and the quality of the player pool has jumped. Four players broke the previous auction record of USD 260,000 in a single day, which shows how far the league has come in five seasons.

The squad rules have also matured the competition. Every franchise must carry eighteen to twenty three players, with minimum quotas covering UAE players, Afghanistan players, an Ireland player, and players from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Associate nations. Matchday elevens must include at least two UAE players, two Afghanistan players and one additional Associate player, which means local talent gets real game time alongside the global stars.

The coaching boxes are stacked too. Mark Boucher leads MI Emirates, Dwayne Bravo is with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, James Foster guides the defending champion Desert Vipers, Hemang Badani is with the Dubai Capitals, Simon Helmot runs the Gulf Giants, and Adrian Birrell is with the Sharjah Warriorz. The Giants have further strengthened by appointing former UAE captain CP Rizwan as assistant batting coach, which shows how seriously the franchises are taking the development of emerging UAE players.

Season 5 highlight	Detail
New window	Nov to Dec, avoiding the SA20 clash
Auction model	USD 1.3 million purse per franchise
Record broken	Four players beat the USD 260,000 mark
Local focus	UAE and Associate quotas in every XI
Title race	Desert Vipers defend against five challengers

The Road Ahead for ILT20 Season 5

Season 5 has everything a T20 league needs: a final rematch on opening night, a record-breaking auction, the debut of Babar Azam, and six squads packed with international stars. The new November-December window gives the ILT20 its own space in the calendar, and the affordable ticket prices mean the stadiums in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah should be buzzing from the first ball to the last.

The Desert Vipers start as the team to beat, but MI Emirates, the Gulf Giants and the Dubai Capitals have all spent big to knock them off the perch. From November 21 to December 20, the UAE will host a month of world-class T20 cricket, and by the time the trophy is lifted in Dubai, Season 5 could well be remembered as the edition when the ILT20 truly arrived on the world stage.

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