DP World ILT20 Season 5 — 2026

ILT20 2026 Venues

Dubai International Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Sheikh Zayed Stadium: complete venue guide for ILT20 Season 5.

ILT20 2026 Venues: UAE Stadiums and Match Conditions

ILT20 Season 5 matches take place across three UAE venues from 22 November to 20 December 2026. Dubai International Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi each produce fundamentally different match conditions, and understanding those differences is essential for following the tournament, predicting match outcomes, and making fantasy cricket selections.

The three venues are genuinely different from each other in ways that directly decide match results. This is not a minor variation in conditions. Sharjah produces some of the highest scores seen in franchise T20 cricket globally. Abu Dhabi regularly produces low scoring defensive battles. Dubai sits between the two but is heavily influenced by dew in December night matches. The venue for each fixture changes everything:

The 200 run mark has been crossed 12 times in ILT20 history across all seasons. Sharjah matches account for the majority of those occasions because its short boundaries give power hitters an immediate scoring advantage from the first over

Abu Dhabi has produced the lowest scoring matches in ILT20 history because its slower surface helps spinners and medium pace bowlers control scoring in the middle overs in a way that simply does not happen at Sharjah or Dubai

Dubai hosts the playoffs and the Season 5 final on 20 December 2026. The venue’s heavier dew in December makes it the most toss-sensitive ground in UAE cricket, with most captains choosing to chase after winning the toss in high-stakes night matches

Toss win percentage for chasing teams is highest at Dubai and Sharjah. At Abu Dhabi, batting first is sometimes preferred because the slower surface allows bowlers to defend targets more reliably than at the other two grounds

ILT20 Season 5 Venue Schedule

All three venues host matches throughout the 30 match league stage. Dubai hosts all four playoff matches including the final. Official venue-by-venue fixture breakdowns will be confirmed by the Emirates Cricket Board before 22 November 2026.

Dubai International Stadium

Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Sheikh Zayed Stadium

Sharjah Cricket Stadium: Highest Scoring ILT20 Venue

Sharjah Cricket Stadium is the smallest international cricket ground in the UAE and consistently produces the most explosive matches in ILT20. Power hitters love batting here because the boundaries are short enough that a well-timed shot along the ground at Sharjah clears the rope at other venues in the air.

Shortest boundaries of all three ILT20 venues make sixes far easier to hit at Sharjah than at Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Nicholas Pooran’s all time ILT20 record of 71 sixes was built significantly on his performances at this ground

First innings scores regularly exceed 190 at Sharjah, with totals above 200 common. A par score of 175 at Sharjah is genuinely chaseable, whereas the same target at Abu Dhabi is a very difficult ask given the slower surface

Bowling at Sharjah requires a completely different approach than at Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Bowlers cannot rely on beating the edge or inducing false shots. They must attack stumps directly because there is no margin for a wide ball being dispatched over the short square boundary

Dubai International Stadium: Playoff and Final Venue

Dubai International Stadium is the biggest and most prestigious venue in ILT20. It hosts the playoff matches and the Season 5 final on 20 December 2026. The ground is significantly larger than Sharjah which produces more balanced contests, but dew in December evening matches is the most significant variable at this venue.

Dew settles heavily at Dubai in December evening matches, typically becoming significant from around the 10th over of the second innings. This makes bowling progressively harder as the night goes on and gives chasing teams a real advantage in the death overs

Toss decisions at Dubai are more consequential than at any other ILT20 venue. In playoff matches specifically, captains who win the toss almost always field first because the dew advantage in a knockout match can be decisive when defending or chasing 15 runs in the last over

The larger outfield demands better ball-striking to clear the boundary compared to Sharjah. Batters who rely on top edges and bottom edges going for six at Sharjah need cleaner contact at Dubai, which slightly favours technically correct batters over pure sloggers

Sheikh Zayed Stadium Abu Dhabi: The Bowler Friendly Venue

Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi plays slower than both Dubai and Sharjah and is the most bowler friendly of the three ILT20 venues. Spinners and medium pace bowlers who can hit the surface hard and vary their pace consistently get more from the Abu Dhabi pitch than anywhere else in the tournament.

Slower surface gives spinners significantly more turn and grip than at Dubai or Sharjah. Franchises that carry two quality spinners have a genuine tactical advantage at Abu Dhabi compared to teams that rely entirely on pace bowling across all three venues

First innings scores at Abu Dhabi are typically 15 to 25 runs lower than Sharjah for equivalent batting lineups. A total of 160 at Abu Dhabi is a much stronger defensive position than the same score at Sharjah, where any batting side would back themselves to chase it

Dew impact at Abu Dhabi is less severe than at Dubai and Sharjah, which means batting first is sometimes a viable toss decision here. Some captains who lose the toss at Abu Dhabi are not as disadvantaged as they would be at the other two venues

FAQs

Which stadiums host ILT20 Season 5 matches?

Three UAE venues host ILT20 Season 5 matches: Dubai International Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. All three venues host league stage matches. Dubai International Stadium hosts all four playoff matches including the Season 5 final on 20 December 2026.

Which ILT20 venue produces the highest scores?

Sharjah Cricket Stadium consistently produces the highest scores in ILT20. The 200 run mark has been crossed 12 times across all ILT20 seasons and Sharjah matches account for the majority of those occasions. Its short boundaries make sixes significantly easier to hit than at Dubai or Abu Dhabi, which is why power hitters like Nicholas Pooran have built large portions of their ILT20 records at Sharjah.

Why does dew affect ILT20 matches at Dubai so much?

Dubai International Stadium in December produces the heaviest dew of the three ILT20 venues. Dew settles on the outfield and ball from around the 10th over of the second innings, making the ball slippery and harder for bowlers to grip. This prevents death over specialists from executing yorkers and slower balls effectively, which is why captains at Dubai almost always field first after winning the toss.

Which ILT20 venue is best for spinners?

Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi gives spinners the most help in ILT20. The slower surface provides more turn and grip than Dubai or Sharjah. Franchises that carry quality spin options specifically perform better at Abu Dhabi than teams relying entirely on pace. First innings scores at Abu Dhabi are typically 15 to 25 runs lower than at Sharjah for similar batting lineups.

Which venue hosts the ILT20 2026 final?

The ILT20 Season 5 final takes place on 20 December 2026 at Dubai International Stadium. Dubai hosts all four playoff matches including Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the final, making it the most important venue in the tournament during the knockout stage.

Does the toss matter equally at all three ILT20 venues?

No. The toss is most consequential at Dubai because of heavy December dew. At Sharjah it is also significant because chasing under lights with dew is an advantage. At Abu Dhabi the toss matters less because dew impact is lower and batting first on the slower surface is sometimes preferable. This means toss strategy in ILT20 changes depending on which venue is hosting that day’s match.