The fourth season of the UAE’s leading franchise cricket competition, the DP World International League T20, will begin on Tuesday, December 2.
It has come around slightly quicker than usual. Because of its proximity to the T20 World Cup, the league has switched from its preferred window of January-February.
As such, it is 10 months since the final of last season, when Dubai Capitals snatched a first title from the grasp of two-time runners up Desert Vipers.
Opening ceremony
There will be little love lost between those two sides when they play the tournament opener at Dubai International Stadium.
The match will be preceded by a performance by Pakistani singer Ali Zafar, starting at 6pm, with the first ball scheduled for 6.45pm.
Fixtures
Tickets
Admission to the stands is available from Dh20, with hospitality packages from Dh325. There is also a lounge experience available for Dh395, which includes unlimited food and drink.
Tickets are available at tickets.ilt20.ae and Virgin Megastores.
TV
The 34 matches will be shown live on Starzplay in the UAE.
Squads
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Jason Holder, Brandon McMullen, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Alex Hales, Olly Stone, Liam Livingstone, George Garton, Phil Salt, Khary Pierre, Sherfane Rutherford, Michael Pepper, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Unmukt Chand
UAE players: Alishan Sharafu, Mayank Chowdary, Ibrar Ahmed, Ajay Kumar
Saudi Arabia player: Manan Ali
Kuwait player: Adnan Idrees
Desert Vipers
Lockie Ferguson, Tom Bruce, Andries Gous, Sam Curran, Noor Ahmed, David Payne, Maz Holden, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Qais Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Shimron Hetmyer, Dan Lawrence, Wanindu Hasaranga, Faridoon Dawoodzai
UAE players: Vriitya Aravind, Khuzaima Tanveer, Sanjay Pahal, Matiullah Khan
Saudi Arabia player: Faisal Khan
Kuwait player: Bilal Tahir
Dubai Capitals
Dasun Shanaka, Sediqullah Atal, Leus de Plooy, Gulbadin Naib, Tony Albert, Mohammed Nabi, Scott Currie, Navin Bidaisie, Jimmy Neesham, Waqar Salamkhil, Tymal Mills, Jordan Cox, David Willey, Rovman Powell, Mustafizur Rahman, Dushmantha Chemeera, Shayan Jahangir, Rushil Ugarkar
UAE players: Mohammed Jawadullah, Farhan Khan, Haider Ali, Mohammed Farooq
Saudi Arabia player: Usman Najeeb
Kuwait player: Anudeep Chenthamara
Gulf Giants
James Vince, Mark Adair, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Moeen Ali, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Mayers, Matthew Forde, Sean Dickson, Tabraiz Shamsi, Liam Dawson, Lorcan Tucker, Chris Wood, Tom Moores, Nuwan Thushara, Pathum Nissanka, Gerhard Erasmus, Fred Klaassen
UAE players: Aayan Khan, Asif Khan, Haider Razzaq, Zuhaib Zubair
Saudi Arabia player: Ishtiaq Ahmed
Kuwait player: Meet Bhavsar
MI Emirates
Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Andre Fletcher, Jonny Bairstow, Shakib Al Hasan, Kamindu Mendis, Jordan Thompson, Tom Banton, Chris Woakes, Naveen ul Haq, AM Ghazanfar, Arab Gul, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ackeem Auguste, Nosthush Kenjige, Tajinder Dhillon,
UAE players: Muhammad Waseem, Mohammed Rohid, Zahoor Khan, Usman Khan
Saudi Arabia player: Zain ul Abidin
Kuwait player: Mohammed Shafeeq
Sharjah Warriorz
Tim Southee, Adil Rashid, Dinesh Karthik, Dwaine Pretorius, Johnson Charles, James Rew, Nathan Sowter, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Taskin Ahmed, Tim David, Tom Abell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mark Chapman, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Harmeet Singh, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shubham Ranjane
UAE players: Junaid Siddique, Ethan D’Souza, Wasim Akram, Raees Ahmed
Saudi Arabia player: Abdul Salman Khan
Kuwait player: Mohammed Aslam
Past winners
What’s new?
The six teams still have an obligation to field at least two UAE players in each starting XI. These players have to either be qualified to represent the national team, or have at least stated their intention to do so.
For the first time, each squad will also feature one player from Saudi Arabia and one from Kuwait. The regulation has come about as a result of agreement with the federations of each of those countries, by which the ILT20 is trying to expand its footprint in the region.
The switch in timing of the season has also brought some differences. Now almost all of the campaign coincides with school holidays. It also starts on National Day, and goes over Christmas and New Year towards the end.
The organisers have bought into the festive spirit, setting up a “Crickmas Wonderland” in the fan village outside the stands.
