ILT20 Season 5 Auction Results: Farooqi Breaks Record at USD 380,000, Babar Azam Joins Desert Vipers
Fazalhaq Farooqi became the most expensive player in ILT20 auction history at USD 380,000. Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman all joined Desert Vipers. Muhammad Waseem became the highest-priced UAE player ever at USD 210,000.
The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction produced the biggest bids in tournament history on 1 October 2026 at the ICC Academy Indoors in Dubai. Four players shattered the previous auction record of USD 260,000 set by Andre Fletcher at the Season 4 auction. Fazalhaq Farooqi led all bids at USD 380,000, making him the most expensive player ever purchased at an ILT20 auction.
The auction also confirmed Babar Azam’s ILT20 debut. The former Pakistan captain and former number one ranked T20I batter joins Desert Vipers alongside Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman, all secured at their USD 80,000 base price. Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman return to the defending champions while Babar and Shadab make their ILT20 debuts.
The Four Record-Breaking Bids
Four players went above the previous ILT20 auction record of USD 260,000 at Thursday’s auction:
Babar Azam Makes ILT20 Debut With Desert Vipers
Desert Vipers made the most talked-about signing of the auction without breaking the record. Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman all joined the defending champions at their USD 80,000 base price. Desert Vipers also exercised their Right to Match option on David Payne at USD 150,000 and secured Khuzaima Bin Tanveer through RTM at USD 75,000. Aneurin Donald and Joe Clarke joined for USD 40,000 each.
Babar Azam makes his ILT20 debut in Season 5. Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman return to the franchise that won Season 4 by defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final on 4 January 2026.
Muhammad Waseem Makes History for UAE Cricket
Muhammad Waseem became the highest-priced UAE player in ILT20 auction history. MI Emirates used their Right to Match option to secure the UAE captain for USD 210,000, surpassing all previous prices paid for a UAE domestic player at any ILT20 auction. Waseem holds 871 ILT20 runs at a 140.48 strike rate and has won the Best UAE Player award in back to back seasons.
Complete Auction Results by Franchise
MI Emirates
Gulf Giants
Dubai Capitals
Desert Vipers
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Sharjah Warriorz
Notable Unsold Players
Not every big name found a franchise. Ravichandran Ashwin went unsold for the second consecutive ILT20 auction. James Anderson, Josh Little, Shakib Al Hasan, and Saim Ayub were also unsold after failing to attract bids above their base prices.
What This Means for Season 5
Desert Vipers now have Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman alongside their pre-auction signings of Mujeeb ur Rahman, Shimron Hetmyer, Andries Gous and Dan Lawrence. They enter Season 5 as the strongest squad on paper as well as defending champions.
MI Emirates responded by paying a record price for Farooqi and retaining Muhammad Waseem, signalling their intent to go one better than Season 4 when they lost the final. Gulf Giants with Livingstone, Gurbaz, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen have assembled one of the most explosive batting lineups in ILT20 history.
Check the ILT20 2026 squads page for complete updated team rosters. Season 5 starts on 22 November 2026 with the opening match between Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers at Dubai International Stadium. Follow the ILT20 Season 5 schedule for all fixtures.