Ross Adair
Player Information
Player Overview
Ross Adair is an Ireland international batter who joined MI Emirates for DP World ILT20 Season 5. Born on 21 April 1994, Adair is a right-handed top-order batter known for an aggressive approach and a willingness to attack from the beginning of an innings. His route to international cricket is unusual because he previously played professional rugby before moving his sporting focus to cricket. After establishing himself in Irish domestic cricket, Adair made his Ireland debut in 2023 and developed into an attacking option at the top of the order. MI Emirates secured him during the Season 5 player auction.
Playing Style
Adair’s batting is built around positive intent and boundary hitting. Cricket Ireland describes him as an ultra-aggressive opening batter, while MI Emirates highlights his natural power and attacking approach. He is particularly suited to a top-order role where he can look to put pressure on the bowling side early in the innings. His domestic T20 record also reflects that approach: Cricket Ireland currently lists a strike rate above 150 across his overall Twenty20 career. Although official sources differ over the description of his bowling style, batting is clearly his primary role for both Ireland and MI Emirates.
Which Team Does Ross Adair Play for in ILT20?
Ross Adair plays for MI Emirates in DP World ILT20 Season 5. The franchise signed the Ireland batter for USD 10,000 at the Season 5 player auction. Unlike Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford, who were secured by MI Emirates before the auction, Adair was one of the players added when the franchise completed the remainder of its squad. His selection provides MI Emirates with another specialist top-order option and brings an Ireland international into a batting group containing players with experience across several major T20 competitions.
Career Background
Adair’s sporting career began differently from that of most international cricketers. Before establishing himself in cricket, he played professional rugby and represented Ulster as well as Jersey. An injury eventually contributed to his move away from professional rugby, and he made his Northern Knights cricket debut in 2020. He progressed quickly enough to make his T20 international debut for Ireland against Zimbabwe in January 2023.
One of Adair’s biggest international performances came against South Africa in 2024, when he scored his first T20I century. Cricket Ireland notes that the innings came in Ireland’s first T20 victory over South Africa. He has also represented Ireland alongside his brother Mark Adair, another established Ireland international. Ross was subsequently selected in Ireland’s squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
ILT20 Record
Ross Adair joins MI Emirates as a new Season 5 auction signing, and the official sources reviewed for this profile do not provide a verified previous ILT20 playing record for him. For that reason, no earlier ILT20 match, run or innings totals have been added to this page. His wider T20 record nevertheless provides useful context for the type of player MI Emirates have signed. Cricket Ireland’s current profile records more than 1,500 runs in his overall Twenty20 career, with multiple centuries and a strike rate above 150. Those numbers reflect the aggressive batting approach that earned him international recognition with Ireland.
ILT20 Season 5 Context
MI Emirates purchased Adair for his USD 10,000 base price during the Season 5 player auction. He was one of 18 auction additions used to complete the franchise’s 22-player squad after four players had already been secured before the auction. Adair enters the group as a specialist batter and gives MI Emirates another option for an attacking role near the top of the order. Season 5 also gives him an opportunity to bring his aggressive domestic and international T20 batting into the ILT20 environment while playing alongside experienced international names in the MI Emirates squad.
Playing Style at UAE Venues
Adair already has recent experience of playing international cricket in the UAE. In January 2026, he was part of Ireland’s squad for a UAE tour that included T20 internationals in Dubai against Italy and the United Arab Emirates as preparation for the T20 World Cup. That experience gives him some familiarity with cricket in the country before his first Season 5 campaign with MI Emirates. His naturally attacking top-order approach remains his defining batting characteristic, while his ability to score quickly makes him a flexible option when MI Emirates want early momentum during the powerplay or an aggressive start to an innings.