Max Holden
Player Information
Max Holden Player Overview
Max Holden is an English left-handed batter who joins Dubai Capitals for DP World ILT20 Season 5. A product of the Middlesex academy, Holden has developed experience across first-class and white-ball cricket while also playing in franchise competitions including the ILT20 and The Hundred. Dubai Capitals added him through the Season 5 Player Auction as one of their specialist batting options for the 2026 tournament.
Playing Style
Holden is primarily a left-handed top-order batter. His white-ball game is built around positive strokeplay and the ability to score at a strong rate, while his first-class record shows that he can also construct longer innings. Middlesex have described him as an inventive, hard-hitting white-ball batter. He can bowl right-arm off-break, although batting is his main role.
Which Team Does Max Holden Play for in ILT20?
Max Holden plays for Dubai Capitals in DP World ILT20 Season 5. He was one of 19 players added by the Capitals through the Season 5 Player Auction, joining a batting group that includes Faf du Plessis, Rovman Powell, Phil Salt and Sediqullah Atal.
This is not Holden’s first experience in the ILT20. His previous franchise record includes spells with Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers, giving him experience of the tournament and playing conditions in the UAE before his return to the Capitals for the 2026 season.
Max Holden’s Middlesex Career
Holden came through the Middlesex academy and signed his first professional contract with the county in 2015 when he was 17. He made his professional debut in 2017 and gradually established himself as a senior member of the Middlesex batting group.
The 2024 county season was particularly productive. Holden scored 981 first-class runs for Middlesex at an average of 49.05, finishing as the club’s second-highest first-class run-scorer that year. His season included two centuries and five fifties, with an unbeaten 211 against Northamptonshire standing as his career-best first-class score at the time.
White-Ball and T20 Career
Holden has built a significant part of his career in limited-overs cricket. By February 2025, Middlesex credited him with 1,460 T20 runs for the club and a highest score of 121 not out. That century also helped place him among a small group of Middlesex players to have scored hundreds in all three domestic formats.
His T20 experience extends beyond county cricket. Holden has featured in The Hundred and reached the competition’s final with Manchester Originals in both 2022 and 2023. He was selected by Trent Rockets in the 2025 Hundred draft after scoring 118 runs in the 2024 edition.
England Pathway Experience
Before establishing himself at senior domestic level, Holden represented England at Under-19 level in both multi-day and one-day cricket. He has also represented England Lions, giving him experience within England’s development pathway in addition to his county and franchise career.
Max Holden in ILT20 Season 5
Holden gives Dubai Capitals a left-handed option in a batting group containing several experienced international players. His familiarity with UAE conditions and previous ILT20 experience should reduce the adjustment required compared with a player entering the competition for the first time.
Dubai Capitals begin their Season 5 campaign against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at Dubai International Stadium on 22 November 2026. The tournament runs until 20 December, with each team playing 10 matches during the double round-robin league stage before the playoffs.