When does ILT20 Season 5 start and finish?

ILT20 Season 5 starts on 22 November 2026 and the final takes place on 20 December 2026 at Dubai International Stadium. The tournament runs for 29 days with 34 total matches including 30 league stage matches and four playoff fixtures.

Which venues host ILT20 2026 matches?

Three UAE venues host Season 5 matches: Dubai International Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Dubai hosts all four playoff matches including the final on 20 December 2026. Sharjah and Abu Dhabi host league stage fixtures throughout November and December.

Why do toss decisions matter so much in UAE night matches?

ILT20 matches start at 6pm or 7pm UAE time. Dew settles on the outfield and ball from around the 10th over of the second innings at Dubai and Sharjah, making bowling harder for the defending side in the death overs. This gives chasing teams a clear advantage in the final six overs, which is why most ILT20 captains field first after winning the toss at these venues.

Who are the defending champions in ILT20 2026?

Desert Vipers are the defending champions. They won 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 in the final and Naseem Shah took 3 for 18 as Desert Vipers posted 182 for 4 and bowled MI Emirates out for 136.

DP World ILT20 Season 5 — 2026

ILT20 2026 Schedule: Full Fixtures, Dates & Match Timings

Q: When is the ILT20 2026 final?

The ILT20 Season 5 final is confirmed for 20 December 2026 at Dubai International Stadium. It is the last of 34 matches in the tournament and decides the Season 5 champion. Desert Vipers enter as defending champions after winning Season 4.

Q: How many matches are in ILT20 Season 5?

ILT20 Season 5 has 34 matches in total. Thirty league stage matches are played in a double round-robin format across all six franchises from 22 November 2026. Four playoff matches follow, including Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the final on 20 December 2026.

Complete DP World ILT20 Season 5 schedule with all 34 matches from 21 November to 20 December 2026 across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Full Match Schedule Playoff Schedule

ILT20 Season 5 Schedule 2026

DP World ILT20 Season 5 begins on Saturday, 21 November 2026 and concludes with the final on Sunday, 20 December 2026. Defending champions Desert Vipers face MI Emirates in the opening match at Dubai International Stadium at 6:30 PM GST.

The six franchises play 30 league matches in a double round-robin format, with every team playing 10 matches. The top four teams in the standings advance to Qualifier 1, the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, followed by the Season 5 final.

Matches are spread across Dubai International Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Evening matches begin at 6:30 PM GST, while scheduled afternoon matches begin at 2:00 PM GST.

Start:
21 November 2026

Final:
20 December 2026

Total Matches:
34

League Matches:
30

Teams:
6

Venues:
Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Sharjah

ILT20 2026 Full Match Schedule

Here is the confirmed fixture list for DP World ILT20 Season 5. All times below are Gulf Standard Time (GST).

#	Date	Match	Venue	Time
1	21 Nov	Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates	Dubai	6:30 PM
2	22 Nov	Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants	Sharjah	2:00 PM
3	22 Nov	Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Dubai	6:30 PM
4	23 Nov	Sharjah Warriorz vs Desert Vipers	Sharjah	6:30 PM
5	24 Nov	Gulf Giants vs MI Emirates	Dubai	6:30 PM
6	25 Nov	Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers	Dubai	6:30 PM
7	26 Nov	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates	Abu Dhabi	6:30 PM
8	27 Nov	Sharjah Warriorz vs Dubai Capitals	Sharjah	6:30 PM
9	28 Nov	MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers	Abu Dhabi	2:00 PM
10	28 Nov	Gulf Giants vs Dubai Capitals	Dubai	6:30 PM
11	29 Nov	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriorz	Abu Dhabi	2:00 PM
12	29 Nov	Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants	Dubai	6:30 PM
13	30 Nov	MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Abu Dhabi	6:30 PM
14	1 Dec	Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriorz	Sharjah	6:30 PM
15	2 Dec	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers	Abu Dhabi	2:00 PM
16	2 Dec	Dubai Capitals vs MI Emirates	Dubai	6:30 PM
17	3 Dec	Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Dubai	6:30 PM
18	4 Dec	Desert Vipers vs Sharjah Warriorz	Sharjah	6:30 PM
19	5 Dec	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf Giants	Abu Dhabi	6:30 PM
20	6 Dec	MI Emirates vs Sharjah Warriorz	Abu Dhabi	2:00 PM
21	6 Dec	Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals	Dubai	6:30 PM
22	7 Dec	MI Emirates vs Gulf Giants	Abu Dhabi	6:30 PM
23	8 Dec	Dubai Capitals vs Sharjah Warriorz	Dubai	6:30 PM
24	9 Dec	Sharjah Warriorz vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Sharjah	6:30 PM
25	10 Dec	Dubai Capitals vs Gulf Giants	Dubai	6:30 PM
26	11 Dec	Sharjah Warriorz vs MI Emirates	Sharjah	6:30 PM
27	12 Dec	Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	Dubai	6:30 PM
28	13 Dec	MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals	Abu Dhabi	2:00 PM
29	13 Dec	Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers	Dubai	6:30 PM
30	14 Dec	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai Capitals	Abu Dhabi	6:30 PM

ILT20 2026 Playoff Schedule

The top four teams after the 30-match league stage qualify for the playoffs. Unlike the previous version of this page, the Season 5 playoffs are spread across all three host cities.

Qualifier 1 16 December 2026 Seed 1 vs Seed 2 Abu Dhabi — 6:30 PM GST

Eliminator 17 December 2026 Seed 3 vs Seed 4 Dubai — 6:30 PM GST

Qualifier 2 18 December 2026 Q1 Loser vs Eliminator Winner Sharjah — 6:30 PM GST

Final 20 December 2026 Q1 Winner vs Q2 Winner Dubai — 6:30 PM GST

ILT20 Season 5 Venues

Season 5 is played at three established UAE cricket venues. Dubai International Stadium hosts 15 tournament matches, Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi hosts 11, and Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosts eight.

Dubai International Stadium

15 Season 5 matches are scheduled in Dubai, including the opening match, Eliminator and final.

Zayed Cricket Stadium

Abu Dhabi hosts 11 matches during Season 5, including Qualifier 1 on 16 December.

Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Sharjah hosts eight tournament matches, including Qualifier 2 on 18 December.

How the ILT20 Season 5 Schedule Works

Six franchises compete in Season 5.

Each team plays 10 league matches.

Every team faces the other five teams twice.

There are 30 league matches before the playoffs.

The top four teams qualify for the playoff stage.

The tournament includes six double-header days.

For matchday updates, previews and the day’s fixture, visit the ILT20 Today Match page. Once the competition begins, the ILT20 Points Table will track the playoff race.

ILT20 2026 Schedule FAQs

When does ILT20 Season 5 start?

DP World ILT20 Season 5 starts on Saturday, 21 November 2026. Desert Vipers face MI Emirates in the opening match in Dubai at 6:30 PM GST.

When is the ILT20 2026 final?

The ILT20 Season 5 final is scheduled for Sunday, 20 December 2026 at Dubai International Stadium. The match starts at 6:30 PM GST.

How many matches are in ILT20 Season 5?

Season 5 contains 34 matches: 30 league fixtures followed by Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the final.

What time do ILT20 2026 matches start?

Evening matches start at 6:30 PM GST. Matches scheduled in the afternoon slot start at 2:00 PM GST.

Which stadiums host ILT20 Season 5?

Season 5 matches are played at Dubai International Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Who are the defending ILT20 champions?

Desert Vipers enter Season 5 as the defending champions after winning Season 4.