Desert Vipers: ILT20 Season 5 Squad & Team Overview

Desert Vipers enter ILT20 Season 5 as the defending champions. They won their maiden ILT20 title in Season 4 on 4 January 2026, defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It was their first championship despite having reached the final in three of the four completed ILT20 seasons, making them the most consistent playoff performers in the tournament’s history.

The franchise is owned by Lancer Capital LLC, with Avram Glazer holding the ownership stake. Desert Vipers are one of only two ILT20 franchises without a direct IPL ownership connection, alongside Sharjah Warriorz. That independence has shaped a distinct squad building philosophy at the Vipers. Rather than relying on an IPL parent club’s player pool, they have focused on assembling bowling-first squads capable of defending totals and taking wickets at key moments. Their Season 4 title was built exactly on that foundation.

Season 4 began under New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson as captain, but Ferguson was injured during the campaign and Sam Curran stepped up to lead the team to the title. Curran scored 74 not out in the final while Naseem Shah took 3 for 18 as the Vipers posted 182 for 4 and bowled MI Emirates out for 136. The squad that won Season 4 included Fakhar Zaman, Shimron Hetmyer, Dan Lawrence, Wanindu Hasaranga, Hassan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, and Andries Gous. Head Coach James Foster oversaw the campaign, supported by Tom Moody as Director of Cricket and Azhar Mahmood as Bowling Coach.

Desert Vipers play their home matches at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which has the shortest boundaries of the three ILT20 venues. Despite their bowling identity, the Sharjah surface demands powerful batting from any team looking to post competitive totals, and the Vipers have consistently recruited top-order batters capable of scoring quickly there. Season 5 squad confirmations are pending, but the franchise enters the new campaign with the strongest momentum of any team in the tournament.