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Tournament Overview

The International League T20 (ILT20) has rapidly established itself as a prominent tournament in the global T20 cricket scene since its launch. The 2025 edition, which began on January 11, 2025, and will conclude on February 9, 2025, marks the third season of this thrilling competition. Organized by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), the league features six franchises battling it out in a double round-robin format, followed by exciting playoffs.

The tournament takes place in the United Arab Emirates, utilizing three iconic cricket venues: the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The primary goal of the ILT20 is to deliver top-tier cricket entertainment while promoting the development of local talent. Its format, resembling that of other successful leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL), has drawn numerous international cricket stars, making it a highly anticipated event for fans around the world.

Key Highlights of DP World ILT20 2025

  • Format: Double round-robin followed by playoffs.
  • Number of Teams: 6 franchises.
  • Duration: January 11 to February 9, 2025.
  • Venues: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Teams and Captains

Teams and Captains

Image Source: Google.com

TeamHead CoachCaptain
Abu Dhabi Knight RidersCricket West Indies - Dwayne BravoCricket West Indies - Sunil Narine
Desert VipersEngland - James FosterNew Zealand - Lockie Ferguson
Dubai CapitalsIndia - Hemang BadaniAustralia - David Warner
Gulf GiantsZimbabwe - Andy FlowerEngland - James Vince
MI EmiratesIndia - Robin SinghCricket West Indies - Nicholas Pooran
Sharjah WarriorzSouth Africa - JP DuminyNew Zealand - Tim Southee

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Squads

The squads for DP World ILT20 2025 comprise a mix of seasoned professionals and promising young players. Here’s an overview of the key players from each team:

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

NameRole
Joe ClarkeTop order Batter
Laurie EvansBatter
Andries GousWicketkeeper Batter
Michael PepperWicketkeeper Batter
Phil SaltWicketkeeper Batter
Alishan SharafuOpening Batter
Sunil Narine (c)Bowling Allrounder
Charith AsalankaBatting Allrounder
Roston ChaseAllrounder
Jason HolderBowling Allrounder
Kyle MayersBatting Allrounder
Andre RussellAllrounder
David WilleyBowling Allrounder
Adhitya ShettyBowler
Ali KhanBowler
Hassan KhanBowler
Terrance HindsBowler
Gudakesh MotieBowler
Sufiyan MuqeemBowler
Vijayakanth ViyaskanthBowler
Ibrar AhmadBowler
Shahid BhuttaBowler

Desert Vipers

NameRole
Azam KhanWicketkeeper Batter
Fakhar ZamanOpening Batter
Alex HalesOpening Batter
Max HoldenTop order Batter
Adam HoseMiddle order Batter
Michael JonesTop order Batter
Dan LawrenceMiddle order Batter
Sherfane RutherfordMiddle order Batter
Tanish SuriWicketkeeper Batter
Ali NaseerAllrounder
Sam CurranAllrounder
Wanindu HasarangaAllrounder
Kushal MallaBatting Allrounder
Dhruv ParasharAllrounder
Bas de LeedeBatting Allrounder
Lockie FergusonBowler
Mohammad AmirBowler
David PayneBowler
Nathan SowterBowler
Luke WoodBowler
Khuzaima TanveerBowler

Dubai Capitals

NameRole
David WarnerOpening Batter (c)
Sam BillingsWicketkeeper Batter
Joe BurnsBatter
Ben DunkWicketkeeper Batter
Jake Fraser-McGurkBatter
Shai HopeWicketkeeper Batter
Khalid ShahOpening Batter
Najibullah ZadranMiddle order Batter
Rovman PowellMiddle order Batter
Adam RossingtonWicketkeeper Batter
Joe WeatherleyBatter (Withdrawn)
Gulbadin NaibBatting Allrounder
Scott KuggeleijnBowling Allrounder
Brandon McMullenBatting Allrounder
Dasun ShanakaAllrounder
Sharafuddin AshrafAllrounder
Sikandar RazaBatting Allrounder
Akif RajaBowler
Dushmantha ChameeraBowler
Obed McCoyBowler
Garuka SankethBowler
Olly StoneBowler
Jeffrey VandersayBowler
Zahir KhanBowler
Ayman AhamedBowler
Farhan KhanBowler
Haider AliBowler
Shahrukh AhmedBowler
Zeeshan NaseerBowler

Gulf Giants

NameRole
James VinceBatter (c)
Dipendra Singh AireeMiddle order Batter
Tom AlsopWicketkeeper Batter
Jordan CoxWicketkeeper Batter
Tim DavidMiddle order Batter
Shimron HetmyerMiddle order Batter
Ibrahim ZadranOpening Batter
Adam LythBatter
Ollie RobinsonWicketkeeper Batter
Jamie SmithWicketkeeper Batter
Aayan Afzal KhanBowling Allrounder
Mark AdairBowling Allrounder
Tom CurranAllrounder
Dominic DrakesBowling Allrounder
Gerhard ErasmusAllrounder
Dushan HemanthaAllrounder
Jamie OvertonBowling Allrounder
Rehan AhmedBowling Allrounder (Withdrawn)
Chris JordanBowler
Tymal MillsBowler
Blessing MuzarabaniBowler
Daniel WorrallBowler
Muhammad ZuhaibBowler
Saghir KhanBowler
Uzair KhanBowler
Wahidullah ZadranBowler

MI Emirates

NameRole
Nicholas PooranWicketkeeper Batter (c)
Aryan LakraBatter
Tom BantonWicketkeeper Batter
Ben CharlesworthMiddle order Batter
Andre FletcherTop order Batter
Muhammad WaseemOpening Batter
Kusal PereraWicketkeeper Batter
Dan MousleyBatting Allrounder
Kieron PollardBatting Allrounder
Romario ShepherdBowling Allrounder
Jordan ThompsonBowling Allrounder
Fareed AhmadBowler
Fazalhaq FarooqiBowler
AM GhazanfarBowler
Akeal HoseinBowler
Alzarri JosephBowler
Nosthush KenjigeBowler
Muhammad RohidBowler
Waqar SalamkheilBowler
Zahoor KhanBowler
Thomas DracaBowler

Sharjah Warriorz

NameRole
Johnson CharlesWicketkeeper Batter
Ethan D'SouzaBatter
Avishka FernandoOpening Batter
Tom Kohler-CadmoreWicketkeeper Batter
Bhanuka RajapaksaTop order Batter
Rohan MustafaTop order Batter
Jason RoyOpening Batter
Tim SeifertWicketkeeper Batter
Matthew WadeWicketkeeper Batter
Luke WellsTop order Batter
Kusal MendisWicketkeeper Batter (Withdrawn)
Harmeet SinghBowling Allrounder
Karim JanatBowling Allrounder
Keemo PaulAllrounder
Daniel SamsAllrounder
Virandeep SinghAllrounder
Tim SoutheeBowler (c)
Ashton AgarBowler
Gus AtkinsonBowler
Peter HatzoglouBowler
Junaid SiddiqueBowler
Dilshan MadushankaBowler
Traveen MathewBowler
Adam MilneBowler
Muhammad JawadullahBowler
Adam ZampaBowler
Adil RashidBowler (Withdrawn)

Fixtures for 2025

The fixtures for DP World ILT20 2025 have been designed to maximize fan engagement and excitement. Each team plays every other team twice in the league stage. Here are the fixtures:

DateDayMatchVenue
January 11SaturdayMatch 1 - Dubai Capitals vs MI EmiratesDubai
January 12SundayMatch 2 - Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert VipersAbu Dhabi
January 12SundayMatch 3 - Gulf Giants vs Sharjah WarriorsDubai
January 13MondayMatch 4 - MI Emirates vs Dubai CapitalsAbu Dhabi
January 14TuesdayMatch 5 - Gulf Giants vs Desert VipersDubai
January 15WednesdayMatch 6 - Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah WarriorsAbu Dhabi
January 16ThursdayMatch 7 - Desert Vipers vs MI EmiratesDubai
January 17FridayMatch 8 - Sharjah Warriors vs Dubai CapitalsSharjah
January 18SaturdayMatch 9 - Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersDubai
January 18SaturdayMatch 10 - Gulf Giants vs Dubai CapitalsSharjah
January 19SundayMatch 11 - Sharjah Warriors vs MI EmiratesSharjah
January 19SundayMatch 12 - Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersDubai
January 20MondayMatch 13 - Dubai Capitals vs Desert VipersDubai
January 21TuesdayMatch 14 - Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI EmiratesAbu Dhabi
January 22WednesdayMatch 15 - Desert Vipers vs Sharjah WarriorsDubai
January 23ThursdayMatch 16 - Dubai Capitals vs Gulf GiantsDubai
January 24FridayMatch 17 - MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersAbu Dhabi
January 25SaturdayMatch 18 - Sharjah Warriors vs Desert VipersSharjah
January 25SaturdayMatch 19 - MI Emirates vs Gulf GiantsAbu Dhabi
January 26SundayMatch 20 - Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai CapitalsAbu Dhabi
January 26SundayMatch 21 - Sharjah Warriors vs Gulf GiantsSharjah
January 27MondayMatch 22 - MI Emirates vs Desert VipersAbu Dhabi
January 28TuesdayMatch 23 - Dubai Capitals vs Sharjah WarriorsDubai
January 29WednesdayMatch 24 - Desert Vipers vs Gulf GiantsDubai
January 30ThursdayMatch 25 - Sharjah Warriors vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersSharjah
January 31FridayMatch 26 - Gulf Giants vs MI EmiratesDubai
February 1SaturdayMatch 27 - Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf GiantsAbu Dhabi
February 2SundayMatch 28 - MI Emirates vs Sharjah WarriorsAbu Dhabi
February 2SundayMatch 29 - Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersDubai
February 3MondayMatch 30 - Desert Vipers vs Dubai CapitalsSharjah

Playoffs

The playoff structure in DP World ILT20 is designed to ensure that the best teams have a fair chance at reaching the final. The top four teams from the league stage will qualify for the playoffs, which include:

DateDayMatchVenue
February 5WednesdayQualifier 1 (31st Match) - 1st Placed Team vs 2nd Placed TeamDubai
February 6ThursdayEliminator (32nd Match) - 3rd Placed Team vs 4th Placed TeamAbu Dhabi
February 7FridayQualifier 2 (33rd Match) - Eliminator Winner vs Qualifier 1 LoserSharjah
February 9SundayFinal Match (34th Match) - TBA vs TBADubai

Points Table

As of January 25, 2025, here’s how the points table stands:

POSTEAMPLAYEDWONLOSTTIEDN/RNRRPTSFORM
1Desert Vipers65100+1.38610W L W W W
2MI Emirates63300+0.1896L W W L W
3Abu Dhabi Knight Riders63300+0.1276W L W L W
4Dubai Capitals63300-0.2326W L W L W
5Sharjah Warriors63300-1.3204W W L L L
6Gulf Giants62300-0.5404L L W L W
7MI Emirates51400-0.5402L L W L L

DP World ILT20 2025 Live Points Table

Venues

Venues

Image Source: Google.com

The matches are being held at three premier cricket venues in the UAE:

CityStadiumCapacity
DubaiDubai International Cricket Stadium25,000
SharjahSharjah Cricket Stadium16,000
Abu DhabiSheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium20,000

These venues provide exceptional facilities and create an electrifying atmosphere for both fans and players.

Notable Players

The ILT20 has drawn some of the most prominent figures in cricket, boosting its global appeal among fans. Notable players include:

  • David Warner: A dynamic opener celebrated for his aggressive batting approach.
  • Nicholas Pooran: A powerful middle-order batsman capable of turning matches on his own.
  • Andre Russell: Famous for his all-round abilities and match-winning performances.
  • Rashid Khan: A world-class spinner who plays a key role in controlling runs during critical moments.

These players bring not only their exceptional skills but also valuable experience from international cricket, making each game thrilling.

Broadcast Partner

CountryTV ChannelRadio ChannelInternet
AfghanistanAriana TV--
IndiaZee Network--
Nepal--Styx Sports
Pakistan--TAPMAD
Sri LankaSupreme TV--
CaribbeanRush Sports--
MENAAbu Dhabi Sports TVTalk FM Radio 100.3 - UAEDubai Sports TV, ILT20 Official – YouTube
Rest of the world--'ILT20 on Zee' – YouTube

Previous Edition Champions

The ILT20 2024 season ended with a thrilling final on February 9, 2024, where MI Emirates secured their first-ever title by defeating the Dubai Capitals. This landmark victory solidified MI Emirates' position as one of the top franchises in the league.

  1. MI Emirates secured the title of Season Two champions in 2024.
2024 Champions

Image Source: Google.com

  1. Gulf Giants emerged as the champions of Season One in 2023.
2023 Champions

Image Source: Google.com

Their consecutive title wins have solidified their reputation as a powerhouse in the league.

Season 2024 Records

Batting Records - Most Runs

PlayerTeamInnsRunsAveHSSR
James VinceGulf Giants1235629.6659120.17
Nicholas PooranDesert Vipers1035450.5757*170.19
Kusal PereraMI Emirates1033533.565157.27
Muhammad WaseemMI Emirates1232132.189*147.92
Sam BillingsDubai Capitals123203267140.35

Bowling Records - Most Wickets

PlayerTeamMatchesWicketsEconBBI
Fazalhaq FarooqiMI Emirates8177.654/25
Waqar SalamkheilMI Emirates11177.173/18
Trent BoultMI Emirates12168.133/14
Scott KuggeleijnDubai Capitals8139.434/17
Sikandar RazaDubai Capitals13136.313/21

Awards

BeltAwardWinnerTeam
GreenMost runsEngland James VinceGulf Giants
WhiteMost wicketsAfghanistan Waqar SalamkheilMI Emirates
BlackFastest 50Cricket West Indies Nicholas PooranMI Emirates
RedMost Valuable Player (MVP)Zimbabwe Sikandar RazaDubai Capitals
BlueBest United Arab Emirates UAE PlayerMuhammad WaseemMI Emirates

Season 2023 Records

Batting Records - Most Runs

PlayerTeamInnsRunsAveHSSR
AD HalesDesert Vipers1246946.9110151.77
JM VinceGulf Giants1143948.7783*136.76
KA PollardMI Emirates1039478.886192.19
Muhammad WaseemMI Emirates1136733.3686138.49
N PooranMI Emirates1035550.7166*142.57

Bowling Records - Most Wickets

PlayerTeamMatchesWicketsEconBBI
CJ JordanGulf Giants10207.393/12
D WieseGulf Giants11187.005/20
PW HasarangaDesert Vipers9157.183/13
DJ BravoMI Emirates9138.003/25
SS CottrellDesert Vipers11136.703/14

Awards

BeltAwardWinnerTeam
GreenMost runsEngland Alex HalesDesert Vipers
WhiteMost wicketsEngland Chris JordanGulf Giants
BlackFastest 50*England James VinceGulf Giants
RedMost Valuable Player (MVP)England Chris JordanGulf Giants
BlueBest United Arab Emirates UAE PlayerMuhammad WaseemMI Emirates

Impact on Global Cricket

The ILT20 is redefining the global landscape of T20 leagues with its progressive approach:

  • Official List A Status: In December 2023, the ICC granted ILT20 official List A status, a significant achievement for leagues in Associate nations.
  • Focus on Local Talent: The league prioritizes the development of young players by requiring each team to include emerging cricketers from UAE's domestic circuit.
  • International and Local Collaboration: By hosting global cricket stars alongside local talent, ILT20 is fostering the growth of the sport across various regions worldwide.

Fan Engagement

Fan Engagement

Image Source: Google.com

Fan engagement plays a pivotal role in the success of any sporting event:

  • Interactive Digital Platforms: The league leverages technology through mobile apps and social media, offering fans access to live scores, player statistics, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
  • Enhanced Stadium Experience: Match-day experiences are elevated with fan zones featuring entertainment and activities, creating a vibrant atmosphere for spectators.
  • Community-Focused Programs: Initiatives such as cricket clinics and workshops connect local communities with the league, building stronger bonds between fans and franchises.

Future Prospects

Looking forward, ILT20 is set to achieve even greater heights:

  • Expansion Opportunities: Plans are underway to potentially add more teams or introduce new franchises, boosting the league's competitiveness and reach.
  • Eco-Friendly Practices: Incorporating sustainability initiatives during matches could position ILT20 as a responsible and environmentally-conscious sporting event.
  • Global Partnerships: Building stronger collaborations with other prominent T20 leagues may pave the way for player exchanges and joint events, benefiting players, fans, and stakeholders alike.

Conclusion

As ILT20 enters its third season in early February, it has become clear that this league is far more than just another T20 competition—it signifies a major leap forward for cricket in Associate nations like the UAE. By bringing together a unique mix of local talent and international stars on a single stage, ILT20 is carving out its place as a vital part of the global cricketing landscape.

The thrill of each match goes beyond the action on the field, showcasing how the league successfully connects with fans worldwide while playing a key role in the development of cricket across regions. As we anticipate future seasons, there is no doubt that ILT20 will continue to win the hearts of cricket enthusiasts and contribute to the growth of this beloved sport.

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