DP World ILT20 Season 5 — 2026

ILT20 2026 Auction: Date, Rules, Players List & Complete Guide

The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction takes place on 1 October 2026 in Dubai. All six franchises have already locked in their four pre-auction signings. Here is everything confirmed about the auction before a single bid is placed.

ILT20 Auction 2026: Key Facts at a Glance

The ILT20 2026 Player Auction is the second auction in the tournament’s history. The first auction was held for Season 4 on 1 October 2025 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jumeirah, Dubai. Season 5 follows the same format, with all six franchises already holding four pre-auction signings each before the auction opens. The pre-auction window closed on 3 August 2026 and every franchise used all four available slots.

Auction Date 1 October 2026
Venue Dubai, UAE
Salary Cap USD 2 million per franchise
Minimum Spend USD 1.5 million per franchise
Auction Purse USD 800,000 per franchise
Wildcard Signings Up to 2 per franchise at USD 250,000
Pre-Auction Window Closed 3 August 2026
Season Start 22 November 2026

ILT20 Season 5 Pre-Auction Signings: All Six Franchises

Before the October 1 auction, each franchise secured four players through the pre-auction window. These players skip the auction floor entirely. Every franchise used all four available slots before the 3 August 2026 deadline.

MI Emirates

Nicholas Pooran Returning
1,010 ILT20 runs at 45.90 avg. All time sixes record: 71 maximums
Rashid Khan Returning
Afghanistan leg spinner. One of the best T20 bowlers in the world
Romario Shepherd Returning
West Indies all rounder contributing with bat and ball
Sherfane Rutherford New Signing
West Indies batter. 39 previous ILT20 appearances for ADKR and Desert Vipers

Dubai Capitals

Marcus Stoinis Returning After 3 Years
Australia all rounder. 1,416 T20I runs at 146.28 strike rate, 53 T20I wickets
Noor Ahmad New Signing
Afghanistan left arm wrist spinner. 15 ILT20 wickets in 15 appearances
Rovman Powell Returning
West Indies batter and one of franchise cricket’s most dangerous finishers
Mustafizur Rahman Returning
Bangladesh left arm seamer. Known for cutters and slower ball variations

Gulf Giants

David Miller New Signing
South Africa batter. 2,804 T20I runs at 141.40 strike rate. ILT20 debut
Heinrich Klaasen New Signing
South Africa. 7,000 plus career T20 runs across 300 appearances. ILT20 debut
Azmatullah Omarzai Returning
Afghanistan all rounder. Counts toward mandatory Afghanistan squad quota
Blessing Muzarabani Returning
Zimbabwe fast bowler with genuine pace and bounce across all UAE venues

Desert Vipers

Mujeeb ur Rahman New Signing
Afghanistan mystery spinner. Previously with Gulf Giants and Dubai Capitals
Shimron Hetmyer Returning
West Indies left handed aggressive batter and destructive finisher
Andries Gous Returning
South Africa batter. Provides middle order stability in UAE conditions
Dan Lawrence Returning
England batter with strong technique on pace and spin friendly surfaces

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

Finn Allen New Signing
New Zealand opener. 1,663 T20I runs at 170.73 strike rate. ILT20 debut
Matthew Tromp New Signing
USA batter. 385 runs in 18 T20s at 150.39 strike rate. ILT20 debut
Jason Holder Returning
West Indies pace bowling all rounder. Consistent performer in UAE conditions
Sunil Narine Returning
West Indies mystery spinner and explosive top order batter

Sharjah Warriorz

James Vince Returning
England batter. ILT20 record: 10 fifties across 1,055 total runs for Gulf Giants
Waqar Salamkheil New Team
Afghanistan spinner. 41 ILT20 wickets at 20.6 across 32 appearances
Adam Milne Returning
New Zealand fast bowler with genuine pace and bounce at all UAE venues
Sikandar Raza Returning
Zimbabwe all rounder and experienced franchise performer globally

ILT20 Season 5 Squad Composition Rules: What Changed

Season 5 introduces mandatory squad rules that no previous ILT20 season has required. All six franchises formally objected to the new regulations but the Emirates Cricket Board confirmed they are mandatory for Season 5 onwards. The rules are expected to significantly change auction strategy and increase the value of UAE domestic batters specifically.

UAE Players: Minimum 4 per squad Must include at least one capped UAE player and one Under-23 UAE player. Playing XI must include at least 2 UAE players in every match. This is the same as previous seasons but now has stricter definition requirements.
Afghanistan Players: Minimum 4 per squad Mandatory for the first time in ILT20 history. Playing XI must include at least 2 Afghanistan players in every match. This rule was the most contested among franchises ahead of the Season 5 auction.
Ireland Player: Minimum 1 per squad A completely new requirement that has never previously existed in ILT20. Every franchise must include at least one Ireland player in their squad for Season 5.
Full Member Nations: Minimum 11 per squad Each squad must contain at least 11 players from ICC Full Member nations. Associate nation players from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other nations fill the remaining slots.

The new Afghanistan quota in particular is expected to drive up prices for top Afghan players at the October 1 auction. Players like Sohaib Khan from UAE and several Afghanistan domestic performers who have not previously featured in ILT20 could see significant bidding competition as a result of these rules.

ILT20 Auction 2026: How the Purse and Salary Cap Works

Understanding the ILT20 auction purse structure helps explain why certain players attract more competition than others. The pre-auction signings cost USD 1.2 million of each franchise’s total USD 2 million cap, leaving USD 800,000 for the auction itself.

Total Salary Cap USD 2 million per franchise across the full season. This is 20 percent lower than the USD 2.5 million cap used in the first three ILT20 seasons, reduced after franchises collectively agreed they had overspent on wages.
Minimum Spend Requirement Each franchise must spend at least USD 1.5 million across pre-auction signings and auction picks combined. Franchises cannot simply underspend to save money.
Auction Purse Per Franchise USD 800,000 is available for each franchise to spend at the October 1 auction after accounting for pre-auction signing costs. Any unused pre-auction budget carries over into the auction purse.
Wildcard Signings Each franchise can sign up to two wildcard players outside the auction for an additional USD 250,000 total. This amount sits outside the salary cap and allows franchises to add players who become available after the main auction concludes.
Player Base Prices Players register at one of four base price brackets: USD 120,000, USD 80,000, USD 40,000, or USD 10,000. The USD 120,000 bracket is reserved for the most experienced international names.
Right to Match Card Each franchise holds one Right to Match card applicable to UAE players who were part of their 2025 squad or development programs. This allows the franchise to match the highest bid for that player.

Who to Watch at the ILT20 Season 5 Auction

The new Afghanistan and Ireland quota rules mean certain player categories will attract genuine bidding competition at the October 1 auction. These are the names and profiles most likely to generate the most interest.

UAE Specialist Batters The new mandatory rules require at least 2 UAE players in every playing XI and franchises now need genuine UAE contributors rather than squad fillers. Sohaib Khan, who scored two fifties at the T20 World Cup 2026, could attract significant bidding as a specialist middle order UAE batter.
Afghanistan Spinners and All Rounders With 4 Afghanistan players mandatory per squad and 2 required in every playing XI, demand for Afghan talent will be higher than any previous ILT20 season. Players who can fill the Afghanistan quota while contributing match-winning performances will attract premium bids.
Ireland Players The mandatory Ireland slot is new for Season 5. Six franchises all need at least one Ireland player, creating direct competition for a small pool of eligible performers. Ireland players who have performed in franchise leagues or associate tournaments recently will attract interest beyond their statistics alone.
Death Over Bowlers Genuine death over specialists who can bowl overs 18 to 20 consistently have always been the scarcest and most valuable resource at any T20 auction. ILT20 is no different. Bowlers who have demonstrated reliable execution in franchise cricket death overs will attract premium prices regardless of nationality.

ILT20 Auction History: How the Process Evolved

The ILT20 used a direct signing model for its first three seasons before switching to an auction format for Season 4 in 2025. The change brought the league in line with IPL and other major franchise tournaments globally.

Seasons 1, 2 and 3 used a direct signing model where franchises negotiated and signed players without a centralised auction process. This gave established franchises with strong networks a significant advantage over newer or less connected ownership groups.
Season 4 introduced the first ILT20 Player Auction, held on 1 October 2025 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jumeirah, Dubai. A total of 196 players were shortlisted across nationality categories. Ravichandran Ashwin, who entered with the highest base price of USD 120,000, went unsold in both the main and accelerated rounds, which was the most discussed result of the day.
Season 5 continues the auction format with the same date, 1 October, but with significantly changed squad composition rules that will alter how franchises approach their bidding strategy compared to the first auction in 2025.

What Happens After the Auction

The October 1 auction completes the squad building process for all six franchises. After the auction, franchises can still add players through the wildcard signing window before the season starts on 22 November 2026.

Full squad lists for all six franchises will be confirmed and published after the auction concludes on October 1. Check the ILT20 2026 squads page for the complete updated team rosters after the auction.
Wildcard signings can be added after the auction at a combined cost of USD 250,000 per franchise for up to two players. These signings sit outside the salary cap and give franchises flexibility to respond to injuries or late player availability.
The ILT20 Season 5 schedule runs from 22 November to 20 December 2026 across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The final takes place on 20 December 2026 at Dubai International Stadium.
Desert Vipers enter as defending champions after winning Season 4 by defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final on 4 January 2026. Check the ILT20 winners page for full title history.

FAQs: ILT20 2026 Auction

When is the ILT20 2026 Player Auction?

The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction takes place on 1 October 2026 in Dubai. The pre-auction signing window closed on 3 August 2026. Every franchise already has four pre-auction signings locked in before the auction begins. Full squad lists will be confirmed after the auction concludes.

How much can ILT20 franchises spend at the auction?

Each franchise has a total salary cap of USD 2 million for the season. After accounting for pre-auction signings, approximately USD 800,000 remains for each franchise to spend at the October 1 auction. Franchises must spend a minimum of USD 1.5 million across pre-auction signings and auction picks combined. Up to two wildcard signings can be added after the auction for an additional USD 250,000, which sits outside the salary cap.

What are the new ILT20 Season 5 squad rules?

Season 5 introduces three mandatory requirements for the first time. Every franchise must include a minimum of 4 UAE players including one capped player and one Under-23 player, a minimum of 4 Afghanistan players, and a minimum of 1 Ireland player in their squad. Playing XIs must include at least 2 UAE players and 2 Afghanistan players in every match. All six franchises objected to these rules but the Emirates Cricket Board confirmed they are mandatory.

Which players are already confirmed for ILT20 Season 5 before the auction?

All six franchises have confirmed their four pre-auction signings. Key names include Finn Allen and Sunil Narine at Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen at Gulf Giants, Marcus Stoinis and Rovman Powell at Dubai Capitals, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Shimron Hetmyer at Desert Vipers, Nicholas Pooran and Rashid Khan at MI Emirates, and James Vince and Sikandar Raza at Sharjah Warriorz.

What base prices do players enter at in the ILT20 auction?

Players register at one of four base price brackets: USD 120,000, USD 80,000, USD 40,000, or USD 10,000. The USD 120,000 bracket is the highest and is reserved for the most experienced international performers. In the Season 4 auction, Ravichandran Ashwin entered at USD 120,000 but went unsold, which was the most notable result of that auction.

Who are the defending champions going into ILT20 Season 5?

Desert Vipers are the defending champions after winning Season 4 by defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final at Dubai International Stadium on 4 January 2026. Sam Curran scored 74 not out and Naseem Shah took 3 for 18 in the title match. Desert Vipers have the most final appearances of any ILT20 franchise with three across four seasons.

When does ILT20 Season 5 start after the auction?

ILT20 Season 5 starts on 22 November 2026, approximately seven weeks after the October 1 auction. The opening match is Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers. The season runs until the final on 20 December 2026 at Dubai International Stadium across 34 matches at three UAE venues.