International cricket stars return for second season of DP World ILT20

Hales, Pooran, Russell, Hasaranga and Woakes among players retained by franchises

CP Rizwan, second left, celebrates with teammates after Gulf Giants won the inaugural ILT20 in February. Photo: Vipin Pawar / CREIMAS

The DP World ILT20 is back for its second season and the six teams have confirmed a star-studded list of players who will return for the tournament, which is slated to start in the second week of January.

International T20 stars Alex Hales and Wanindu Hasaranga (Desert Vipers), James Vince (Gulf Giants), Nicholas Pooran, Keiron Pollard and UAE captain Muhammad Waseem (MI Emirates), Andre Russell (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Chris Woakes (Sharjah Warriors) and Sikandar Raza (Dubai Capitals) have all been retained.

The champions Gulf Giants have kept the core of their winning squad, led by captain James Vince, and include Chris Jordan, Australian big hitter Chris Lynn, West Indies pair Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, and the UAE’s Aayan Afzal Khan and Sanchit Sharma.

Last year’s finalists Desert Vipers have brought back the opening season’s top-scorer Hales, along with captain Colin Munro, Sri Lanka spinner Hasaranga and Sherfane Rutherford.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have retained their 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup winner Russell, spinner Sunil Narine and UAE internationals Sabir Ali and Matiullah Khan.

Rovman Powell, the West Indian who captained the side in the early stages of Season 1 is back with the Dubai Capitals.

He is joined by England stalwart Joe Root, Sri Lanka fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera and the Zimbabwean star performer Sikandar Raza, as well as UAE pacer Raja Akif.

MI Emirates retention list is led by Pollard. The West Indian T20 great captained the side to the play-offs in the inaugural season.

He is joined by compatriot Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran and New Zealander Trent Boult. UAE player Waseem, who set Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah ablaze with his sensational batting in the inaugural season, is welcomed back, alongside fast bowler Zahoor Khan.

Sharjah Warriors have retained England bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes, along with their big-hitting batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who scored a match-winning century (106 off 47 balls, with 10 fours and six sixes) against the Dubai Capitals in Dubai. Pacers Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Jawadullah are their UAE players.

There was no restriction on the number of retentions for international players, while the franchises could only keep a maximum of two UAE players.

Meanwhile, the maximum total salary cap for Season 2 will be $2.5 million, with a minimum spend of $1.5 million. The new player signing window opens on Monday.

Full list of players retained for ILT20 Season 2

Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma and Shimron Hetmyer.

Desert Vipers: Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange and Matiullah Khan.

Dubai Capitals: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell and Sikandar Raza.

MI Emirates: Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed and Zahoor Khan.

Sharjah Warriors: Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.