ILT20 CEO buoyed by 'fantastic' demand for tickets ahead of third season of cricket carnival in UAE

David White confident of full house when tournament stars on Saturday

MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran hit a title-winning fifty during the DP World ILT20 final against Dubai Capitals last year. Photo: CREIMAS / ILT20

Organisers of the DP World International League T20 are confident there will be a full house at Dubai International Stadium when the competition returns on Saturday.

The third season of the UAE’s T20 franchise event will get underway when MI Emirates start their title defence against Dubai Capitals.

The fixture is a repeat of last year’s final, when a near-capacity crowd watched Nicholas Pooran lead MI to the trophy. That fixture was the culmination of a general trend last season, which saw vastly improved attendances across the season.

Ahead of that campaign, David White, the newly installed chief executive, said that crowds were the top priority for the league. Twelve months on, the New Zealander insists ticket sales are better than at any point in the league’s history to date, ahead of the start of its third season.

“I was really pleased with the crowds last year,” White said. “It was a big improvement, culminating in the final where we had a huge, packed stadium.

“It is looking very good this year, a huge step up. On Saturday night, I am very confident we will have a full house. The ticket sales have been great this week, particularly since we have announced the Bollywood stars for the opening ceremony. It has really taken off.”

There was excellent crowd for a considerable part of the ILT20 last season. Photo: ILT20

For Saturday’s opening fixture, the organisers have borrowed a tried-and-trusted method to add sparkle. They have announced that a trio of Bollywood stars – Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde and Sonam Bajwa – will be performing at the opening ceremony, starting at 6pm on Saturday.

The Indian Premier League became the world’s leading cricket event in part due to the fusion of cricket on the field and the stardust from the Indian film industry off it.

The combination has also been frequently on display at cricket in the UAE. The early rise of the game in the UAE came when international matches in Sharjah attracted stars from the subcontinent’s entertainment sector in the stands.

Even the T10 League first took hold here amid a similar environment. The first matches of that competition, back in 2017, had film stars, including the India-born, 7ft 1in former WWE wrestler, the Great Khali, beside the boundary.

“Bollywood stars and cricket go hand in hand,” White said. “A big following of ours are the people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

“They are a big number of our supporters, so it just feels right. The interest is huge, and we have been delighted by the ticket sales this week. It is going to be a fantastic way to start the league.

“Of course, cricket is always going to be the star attraction. But when we announced [the Bollywood trio] there was good interest.”

White was conscious of pointing out that the cricket will be the “star of the show”. Last season also saw an increase in the number of close matches in the ILT20, after the lukewarm fare that prevailed in the opening campaign.

Whether supporters are starting to feel an affiliation to the teams, rather than specific players, is debatable, but White is hopeful rivalries will emerge to make the league more engrossing.

“Being very honest, this is a start up,” White said. “It is going to take time. Everyone understands that, and I think there is going to be even more progress this year.

“There will be a natural following for teams. It is something the teams and the league are working on. I am very confident that this year is going to be a big step up from last year.

“I am just thinking now of Nicholas Pooran and the way he played in the final last year. I think he is the best T20 batter in the world, and he was phenomenal here last year. That is a lasting memory for me.

“We have world-class players involved, and with the UAE talent as well. Another memory last year was of [UAE spinner] Aayan Khan getting wickets and the crowd getting behind him.”