When does the ILT20 start and how can I watch the matches in the UAE?

All you need to know about the first UAE-owned T20 franchise league

England all-rounder Moeen Ali is set to captain Sharjah Warriors at the ILT20. AP

The DP World International League T20 will start on Friday, January 13, when Dubai Capitals face Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium.

The new competition is the first UAE-owned T20 franchise league involving leading international players – as well as some locally-based ones.

It will be played over the next four weeks across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, with the final to be played on February 12.

What is it?

The ILT20 has six franchise teams, comprising 84 International and 24 UAE-based players, and a 34-match season.

The opening fixture will be preceded by a performance from Badshah, the Indian rap artist, and RnB star Jason Derulo.

Who are the teams?

The opening fixture pits together two sides that are sister teams of IPL franchises – Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.

A third side, MI Emirates, is also affiliated to an IPL side – namely, Mumbai Indians.

The other three teams involved – Sharjah Warriors, Gulf Giants, and Desert Vipers – are independently-owned start-ups.

The Vipers are owned by Lancer Capital, whose portfolio of sports teams also includes Manchester United.

Who is playing?

A number of T20 World Cup winners – such as Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Evin Lewis and Sunil Narine – will be involved, while Marcus Stoinis is set to join at the conclusion of Australia’s Big Bash League.

The leading stars from India and Pakistan are absent, but Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan are part of the Dubai Capitals squad.

What UAE players are involved?

Each squad includes four UAE players, with two guaranteed a place in the starting XI for each fixture.

Leading lights of the national team such as Muhammed Waseem, Vriitya Aravind and Karthik Meiyappan, will likely be vying for a starting berth.

Promising young talents such as Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly and Aayan Khan will also be pushing for places.

Television

Matches will be screened live on CricLife in UAE and the Mena region.

Tickets

Tickets are available at https://dubai.platinumlist.net/ilt20/

Squads

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

Sunil Narine (captain), Andre Russell, Connor Esterhuizen, Lahiru Kumara, Charith Asalanka, Colin Ingram, Akeal Hosein, Paul Stirling, Zawar Farid, Kennar Lewis, Sabir Ali, Ali Khan, Brandon Glover, Ravi Rampaul, Raymon Reifer, Fahad Nawaz, Matiullah, Dananjaya de Silva, Marchant de Lange, Traveen Mathew

Desert Vipers

Colin Munro (captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Alex Hales, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Tymal Mills, Matheesh Pathirana, Sherfane Rutherford, Rohan Mustafa, Shiraz Ahmed, Sheldon Cottrell, Ali Naseer, Adam Lyth, Dinesh Chandimal, Benny Howell, Mark Watt, Ruben Trumpelmann, Ronak Panoly, Jake Lintott, Gus Atkinson

Dubai Capitals

Rovman Powell (captain), Dasun Shanaka, Fabian Allen, Mujeeb Rahman, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chamika Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Sikandar Raza, Hazratullah Zazai, Chirag Suri, Daniel Lawrence, Jash Giyanani, Niroshan Dickwella, Fred Klaassen, George Munsey, Hazrat Khan, Akif Raja, Joe Root, Robin Uthappa, Ravi Bopara, Yusuf Pathan, Ollie White

Gulf Giants

James Vince (captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Dominic Drakes, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Ollie Pope, Ashwant Valthapa, CP Rizwan, Sanchit Sharma, Aayan Khan, Qais Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, David Wiese, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Tom Helm, Gerhard Erasmus

MI Emirates

Kieron Pollard (captain), Dwayne Bravo, Trent Boult, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nicholas Pooran, Imran Tahir, Will Smeed, Jordan Thompson, Zahir Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Samit Patel, Zahoor Khan, Brad Wheal, Bas de Leede, Andre Fletcher, Najibullah Zadran, Vriitya Aravind, Basil Hameed, Craig Overton, Tom Lammonby, Lorcan Tucker, Daniel Mouseley, McKenny Clarke

Sharjah Warriors

Moeen Ali (captain), Evin Lewis, Chris Woakes, Mohammed Nabi, Dawid Malan, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Benjamin, Joe Denly, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Karthik Meiyappan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Junaid Siddique, Noor Ahmed, Bilal Khan, Mark Deyal, Alishan Sharafu, Mohammed Jawad Ullah, Jamal Todd

Schedule