ILT20 2026 Auction: Date, Rules, Players List & Complete Guide
The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction was held on 1 October 2026 at the ICC Academy Indoors in Dubai. Fazalhaq Farooqi became the most expensive pick at USD 380,000 and Babar Azam joined Desert Vipers. Here are the rules, purse structure, pre-auction signings and biggest bids.
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 followed the same format, with all six franchises entering the auction with four pre-auction signings each. The pre-auction window closed on 3 August 2026 and every franchise used all four available slots.
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
1,010 ILT20 runs at 45.90 avg. All time sixes record: 71 maximums
Afghanistan leg spinner. One of the best T20 bowlers in the world
West Indies all rounder contributing with bat and ball
West Indies batter. 39 previous ILT20 appearances for ADKR and Desert Vipers
Dubai Capitals
Australia all rounder. 1,416 T20I runs at 146.28 strike rate, 53 T20I wickets
Afghanistan left arm wrist spinner. 15 ILT20 wickets in 15 appearances
West Indies batter and one of franchise cricket’s most dangerous finishers
Bangladesh left arm seamer. Known for cutters and slower ball variations
Gulf Giants
South Africa batter. 2,804 T20I runs at 141.40 strike rate. ILT20 debut
South Africa. 7,000 plus career T20 runs across 300 appearances. ILT20 debut
Afghanistan all rounder. Counts toward mandatory Afghanistan squad quota
Zimbabwe fast bowler with genuine pace and bounce across all UAE venues
Desert Vipers
Afghanistan mystery spinner. Previously with Gulf Giants and Dubai Capitals
West Indies left handed aggressive batter and destructive finisher
South Africa batter. Provides middle order stability in UAE conditions
England batter with strong technique on pace and spin friendly surfaces
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
New Zealand opener. 1,663 T20I runs at 170.73 strike rate. ILT20 debut
USA batter. 385 runs in 18 T20s at 150.39 strike rate. ILT20 debut
West Indies pace bowling all rounder. Consistent performer in UAE conditions
West Indies mystery spinner and explosive top order batter
Sharjah Warriorz
England batter. ILT20 record: 10 fifties across 1,055 total runs for Gulf Giants
Afghanistan spinner. 41 ILT20 wickets at 20.6 across 32 appearances
New Zealand fast bowler with genuine pace and bounce at all UAE venues
Zimbabwe all rounder and experienced franchise performer globally
ILT20 Season 5 Squad Composition Rules: What Changed
Season 5 introduces squad rules that no previous ILT20 season has required, including minimum numbers of Afghanistan and Ireland players. Each squad must have between 18 and 23 players, and the rules shaped how every franchise approached the auction.
Afghanistan players featured among the biggest bids at the auction, including Fazalhaq Farooqi at USD 380,000 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz at USD 310,000. UAE players also drew strong bids, with Muhammad Waseem becoming the costliest UAE player at USD 210,000.
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. Each franchise had USD 700,000 for its four pre-auction signings and a USD 1.3 million purse for the auction itself, with total squad spend required to land between USD 1.5 million and USD 2 million.
ILT20 Season 5 Auction Highlights: Biggest Bids
Four bids reached USD 300,000 or more at the 1 October auction. These were the biggest results of the day, and the full breakdown is in our ILT20 Season 5 auction results.
ILT20 Auction History: How the Process Evolved
The ILT20 used a player draft system 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.
What Happens After the Auction
The 1 October auction completed squad building for all six franchises. Each franchise can still add one wildcard player before the season starts on 22 November 2026.
FAQs: ILT20 2026 Auction
When was the ILT20 2026 Player Auction held?
The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction was held on 1 October 2026 at the ICC Academy Indoors in Dubai. The pre-auction signing window closed on 3 August 2026, and every franchise entered the auction with four pre-auction signings.
Who was the most expensive player at the ILT20 Season 5 auction?
Fazalhaq Farooqi was the most expensive player at the ILT20 Season 5 auction. MI Emirates signed the Afghanistan fast bowler for USD 380,000. Liam Livingstone (USD 350,000, Gulf Giants), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (USD 310,000, Gulf Giants) and Faf du Plessis (USD 300,000, Dubai Capitals) also crossed USD 300,000.
Which team signed Babar Azam in the ILT20 Season 5 auction?
Desert Vipers signed Babar Azam at his USD 80,000 base price. The defending champions also signed Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, all at USD 80,000. See the full auction results for every team.
How much can ILT20 franchises spend at the auction?
Each franchise had a USD 1.3 million purse at the auction, on top of USD 700,000 for four pre-auction signings. Total squad spend had to be between USD 1.5 million and USD 2 million. One wildcard player can be added after the auction, outside that cap.
What are the new ILT20 Season 5 squad rules?
Each squad must have 18 to 23 players, including at least 11 from ICC Full Member nations (with at least 4 from Afghanistan and at least 1 from Ireland), at least 4 UAE players, at least 1 player each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and 1 other Associate player. Playing XIs must include at least 2 UAE players and 2 Afghanistan players in every match. The Afghanistan and Ireland requirements are new for Season 5.
Which players were signed before the ILT20 Season 5 auction?
All six franchises made 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?
Season 5 had three base price brackets: USD 80,000, USD 40,000 and USD 10,000. All UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia players had a fixed USD 10,000 base price. The Season 4 auction also had a USD 120,000 bracket, where Ravichandran Ashwin entered at that price but went unsold.
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.