DP World ILT20 Season 5 — 2026

ILT20 2026 Team Squads

Confirmed pre-auction signings, retained players and full squad lists for all six ILT20 Season 5 franchises. Player Auction takes place on 1 October 2026 in Dubai.

ILT20 2026 Squad Update: Pre-Auction Signings Confirmed

All six ILT20 Season 5 franchises confirmed their pre-auction overseas signings on 3 August 2026. Each franchise was permitted a maximum of four pre-auction signings. The full squads will be completed at the ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction in Dubai on 1 October 2026, where teams will add UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Ireland and additional overseas players to build squads of 21 to 23 players.

Player Auction: 1 October 2026 in Dubai
Squad Size: 21 to 23 players per franchise
Pre-Auction Signings: Maximum 4 overseas players per team
Wildcard Signing: 1 additional signing allowed after auction
Salary Cap: Maximum USD 2 million per franchise
Season Dates: 22 November to 20 December 2026

ILT20 Season 5 New Squad Rules

ILT20 has introduced mandatory squad composition rules for Season 5 that significantly change how franchises build their squads. These rules apply to all six franchises and were confirmed despite strong objections from all teams.

Minimum 4 UAE players per squad including at least one capped player and one Under-23 player. Playing XI must include at least 2 UAE players in every match
Minimum 4 Afghanistan players per squad mandatory for the first time in ILT20 history. Playing XI must include at least 2 Afghanistan players in every match
Minimum 1 Ireland player per squad mandatory for Season 5. This is a new requirement that has never previously existed in ILT20
Maximum 11 players from Full Member nations per squad. Playing XI must include at least 1 Associate nation player in every fixture

All six franchises formally objected to these rules but ILT20 confirmed they are mandatory for Season 5. The new rules are expected to significantly change the balance of playing XIs compared to previous seasons.

MI Emirates Squad 2026

MI Emirates are the Season 2 champions, owned by Reliance Industries and Mumbai Indians. They hold the all time highest team total in ILT20 with 241 for 3. Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan and Romario Shepherd all return, with Sherfane Rutherford joining as a new pre-auction signing.

Nicholas Pooran — Returning. 1,010 ILT20 runs at 45.90 average. Holds the all time sixes record with 71 maximums across all ILT20 seasons
Rashid Khan — Returning. Afghanistan leg spinner and one of the best T20 bowlers in the world. Mandatory Afghanistan quota player for MI Emirates
Romario Shepherd — Returning. West Indies all rounder who contributes with both bat and ball across middle and lower order
Sherfane Rutherford — New Signing. West Indies batter with 39 previous ILT20 appearances across ADKR and Desert Vipers

Full squad confirmed after 1 October 2026 auction in Dubai.

Dubai Capitals Squad 2026

Dubai Capitals are the Season 3 champions, owned by GMR Group. Rovman Powell and Mustafizur Rahman both return. Marcus Stoinis returns to ILT20 after a three year gap with Dubai Capitals, while Noor Ahmad joins having taken 11 wickets in 8 matches in Season 4 at an average of 21.45.

Marcus Stoinis — Returning after 3 years. Australia all rounder with 1,416 T20I runs at 146.28 strike rate and 53 T20I wickets in 87 appearances
Noor Ahmad — New Signing. Afghanistan left arm wrist spinner, 15 ILT20 wickets in 15 appearances. Counts toward mandatory Afghanistan quota
Rovman Powell — Returning. West Indies aggressive batter and one of the most dangerous finishers in franchise T20 cricket globally
Mustafizur Rahman — Returning. Bangladesh left arm seamer known for cutters and slower ball variations effective in UAE conditions

Full squad confirmed after 1 October 2026 auction in Dubai.

Gulf Giants Squad 2026

Gulf Giants are the Season 1 champions, owned by Adani Sportsline and chasing a second title. David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen both make their ILT20 debuts. Azmatullah Omarzai and Blessing Muzarabani return from their Season 4 squad.

David Miller — New Signing. South Africa batter with 2,804 T20I runs at 141.40 strike rate across 140 T20Is. ILT20 debut for Season 5
Heinrich Klaasen — New Signing. South Africa, 7,000 plus career T20 runs across 300 appearances. Retired from international cricket after 122 matches. ILT20 debut
Azmatullah Omarzai — Returning. Afghanistan all rounder who counts toward mandatory Afghanistan quota. Contributes with bat and ball across all phases
Blessing Muzarabani — Returning. Zimbabwe fast bowler with genuine pace and bounce, one of the tallest fast bowlers in franchise T20 cricket

Full squad confirmed after 1 October 2026 auction in Dubai.

Desert Vipers Squad 2026

Desert Vipers are the defending champions, owned by Lancer Capital, after winning Season 4 by defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final. Shimron Hetmyer, Andries Gous and Dan Lawrence all return. Mujeeb ur Rahman joins as a new pre-auction signing and counts toward mandatory Afghanistan quota.

Mujeeb ur Rahman — New Signing. Afghanistan mystery spinner, 8 ILT20 wickets across previous Gulf Giants and Dubai Capitals stints. Mandatory Afghanistan quota
Shimron Hetmyer — Returning. West Indies left handed aggressive batter and one of the most destructive finishers in franchise T20 cricket
Andries Gous — Returning. South Africa batter who provides middle order stability and can open the batting when required in UAE conditions
Dan Lawrence — Returning. England batter with strong technique across all conditions, comfortable on both pace and spin friendly surfaces

Full squad confirmed after 1 October 2026 auction in Dubai.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Squad 2026

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are owned by the Kolkata Knight Riders group and have never won the ILT20 title. Finn Allen and Matthew Tromp both make their ILT20 debuts, while Jason Holder and Sunil Narine return from Season 4.

Finn Allen — New Signing. New Zealand opener with 1,663 T20I runs at 170.73 strike rate. Scored a 33-ball century in ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against South Africa
Matthew Tromp — New Signing. USA batter with 385 runs in 18 T20s at 150.39 strike rate. One of USA’s most explosive batters in franchise cricket globally
Jason Holder — Returning. West Indies pace bowling all rounder and consistent performer with both bat and ball in UAE conditions across multiple ILT20 seasons
Sunil Narine — Returning. West Indies mystery spinner and explosive top order batter, one of the most valuable all round players in franchise T20 cricket history

Full squad confirmed after 1 October 2026 auction in Dubai.

Sharjah Warriorz Squad 2026

Sharjah Warriorz are owned by Capri Global and have never won the ILT20 title. James Vince, Adam Milne and Sikandar Raza all return. Waqar Salamkheil joins from MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals where he took 41 ILT20 wickets at 20.6 across 32 appearances. Head coach Adrian Birrell has been appointed for Season 5.

James Vince — Returning. England batter who holds the ILT20 record for most fifties with 10 half centuries across 1,055 total runs playing for Gulf Giants
Waqar Salamkheil — New Team. Afghanistan spinner with 41 ILT20 wickets at 20.6 across 32 appearances for MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals. Mandatory Afghanistan quota
Adam Milne — Returning. New Zealand fast bowler with 12 previous Sharjah Warriorz appearances in Season 3. Generates genuine pace and bounce in UAE conditions
Sikandar Raza — Returning. Zimbabwe all rounder and experienced franchise cricket performer across batting and off spin bowling in multiple global leagues

Full squad confirmed after 1 October 2026 auction in Dubai.

ILT20 Season 5 Franchise Ownership

All six ILT20 franchises are owned by major sports and business groups. Understanding franchise ownership explains the financial backing and cricketing philosophy behind each team’s squad building approach.

MI Emirates — Owned by Reliance Industries and Mumbai Indians. Backed by the same ownership group as the most successful IPL franchise in history
Dubai Capitals — Owned by GMR Group, the same ownership behind Delhi Capitals in IPL. Strong connections to the Indian Premier League ecosystem
Gulf Giants — Owned by Adani Sportsline. Season 1 champions with strong financial backing and aggressive squad investment philosophy
Desert Vipers — Owned by Lancer Capital. Defending champions with a track record of building balanced squads focused on bowling and match-winning depth
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders — Owned by the Kolkata Knight Riders group. Linked to one of the most successful cricket franchise brands in the world
Sharjah Warriorz — Owned by Capri Global Capital Limited. Based at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the highest scoring venue in ILT20

FAQs

When is the ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction?

The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction takes place on 1 October 2026 in Dubai. Player registrations closed on 12 September 2026. Each franchise will add UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Ireland and additional overseas players at the auction to complete squads of 21 to 23 players.

Which big players have signed for ILT20 Season 5?

Confirmed pre-auction signings include Finn Allen joining Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen joining Gulf Giants, Marcus Stoinis returning with Dubai Capitals, Mujeeb ur Rahman joining Desert Vipers, Sherfane Rutherford signing for MI Emirates, and James Vince, Waqar Salamkheil and Sikandar Raza continuing with Sharjah Warriorz.

What are the new ILT20 Season 5 squad rules?

Season 5 introduces mandatory squad composition rules for the first time. Every franchise must include minimum 4 UAE players, minimum 4 Afghanistan players, and minimum 1 Ireland player in their squad. Playing XIs must field at least 2 UAE players, 2 Afghanistan players, and 1 Associate nation player in every match. All six franchises objected to these rules but ILT20 confirmed they are mandatory.

Who owns the ILT20 franchises?

MI Emirates is owned by Reliance Industries and Mumbai Indians. Dubai Capitals by GMR Group. Gulf Giants by Adani Sportsline. Desert Vipers by Lancer Capital. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by the Kolkata Knight Riders group. Sharjah Warriorz by Capri Global Capital Limited.

Who are the defending champions in 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.

How many players are in each ILT20 squad?

Each ILT20 Season 5 franchise must have a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 23 players. The salary cap is maximum USD 2 million per franchise with minimum USD 1.5 million mandatory spend. Each franchise also gets one wildcard signing after the auction within an extended budget.