ILT20 News 1 October 2026

ILT20 Season 5 Auction 2026: Babar Azam, Hasaranga, Gurbaz and 200 Players Go Under the Hammer Today in Dubai

The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction starts today at 1pm GST at the ICC Academy Indoors in Dubai. Babar Azam, Wanindu Hasaranga, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Faf du Plessis and Alzarri Joseph are among the biggest names in the auction pool.

The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction is underway today, 1 October 2026, at the ICC Academy Indoors in Dubai from 1pm GST. More than 800 players from 20 countries registered and organisers have shortlisted approximately 200 players across multiple nationality and base price categories. All six franchises enter with a purse of USD 1.3 million each, with any unspent balance from the USD 700,000 pre-auction window added on top.

Season 5 of ILT20 runs from 22 November to 20 December 2026 across Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. The opening match is Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers on 22 November at Dubai International Stadium. Desert Vipers enter as defending champions after winning Season 4.

Big Names in the ILT20 Season 5 Auction Pool

The Season 5 auction pool includes some of the most recognisable names in franchise T20 cricket. These are the players confirmed in the shortlisted pool heading into today’s auction:

Babar Azam Pakistan. Former number one ranked T20I batter. One of the most technically correct batters in franchise cricket globally. Makes his ILT20 auction debut.
Wanindu Hasaranga Sri Lanka. Second on the all time ILT20 wicket takers list with 39 wickets at an economy of 6.38. One of the most effective leg spinners in franchise T20 cricket.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz Afghanistan. Explosive opener with 2,000 plus T20I runs. One of the most destructive powerplay batters available at this auction.
Phil Salt England. Aggressive opening batter with consistently high strike rates across franchise leagues globally including IPL and The Hundred.
Liam Livingstone England. Explosive middle order batter and part time spinner who featured for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Season 4. Returns to the ILT20 auction pool.
Faf du Plessis South Africa. Experienced T20 captain and top order batter with extensive franchise cricket experience across multiple global leagues.
Alzarri Joseph West Indies. Right arm fast bowler with the ability to swing the ball and generate pace in UAE conditions. Makes his ILT20 auction debut.
Tom Banton England. Aggressive opener who previously scored a record 198 run partnership for MI Emirates in ILT20. Returns to the auction pool for Season 5.

ILT20 Season 5 Auction: Key Rules and Structure

Season 5 introduces a simplified base price structure compared to Season 4. The USD 120,000 bracket has been removed entirely. Players now register at one of three base price categories.

USD 80,000 Top tier international players
USD 40,000 Established franchise performers
USD 10,000 Emerging and associate nation players

Squad Composition Rules Every Franchise Must Follow

Season 5 introduces the strictest squad composition rules in ILT20 history. All six franchises must meet the following requirements or they cannot complete the auction process.

Minimum 4 UAE Players Including at least one capped UAE player and one Under-23 UAE player. Playing XI must include at least 2 UAE players every match.
Minimum 4 Afghanistan Players Mandatory for the first time. Playing XI must include at least 2 Afghanistan players in every match. This rule is expected to drive the highest bidding competition at today’s auction.
Minimum 1 Ireland Player A completely new rule for Season 5. All six franchises need at least one Ireland player, creating direct competition for a small pool of eligible performers.
1 Kuwait and 1 Saudi Arabia Player Each squad must include one player from Kuwait and one from Saudi Arabia in addition to the UAE, Afghanistan, and Ireland requirements.

Auction Purse and Spending Rules

Auction Purse USD 1.3 million per franchise plus any unspent pre-auction balance
Minimum Total Spend USD 1.5 million across pre-auction signings and auction picks combined
Maximum Total Spend USD 2 million per franchise across the full season
Right to Match One RTM card per franchise, applicable only to UAE players from Season 4 or the 2026 Development Tournament
Accelerated Set Franchises with remaining squad space can nominate up to 8 players after main sets conclude
Wildcard Signing One wildcard allowed after auction concludes, outside the main salary cap

What the New Afghanistan Quota Means for Today’s Bidding

The mandatory four Afghanistan players per squad rule is the single biggest factor shaping today’s auction. Wanindu Hasaranga aside, franchises that have not secured four Afghanistan players through pre-auction signings must compete directly for the same pool of Afghan talent at today’s auction. This is guaranteed to push prices for quality Afghan players significantly higher than in Season 4.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the most high-profile Afghan player in the auction pool. As one of the few Afghanistan players who also fills the powerplay batter role, he gives franchises both a mandatory quota player and a genuine match winner from ball one. Expect the bidding for Gurbaz to be among the most competitive of the day.

Pre-Auction Signings Already Confirmed

Before today’s auction, all six franchises confirmed their four pre-auction signings in August 2026. The headline names are Finn Allen and Sunil Narine at Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen at Gulf Giants, Marcus Stoinis at Dubai Capitals, Nicholas Pooran and Rashid Khan at MI Emirates, James Vince at Sharjah Warriorz, and Mujeeb ur Rahman at Desert Vipers.

Full updated squad lists for all six franchises will be published on the ILT20 2026 squads page as soon as the auction concludes today. Check the ILT20 auction page for complete rules and pre-auction signing details.

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