UAE's International League T20 2024: All You Need to Know

After the huge success of the inaugural edition in 2023, UAE’s International League T20 2024 or  ILT2024 returns to the United Arab Emirates for the second time. It will be held from January 19 to February 17, 2024, with venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah hosting the matches.

ILT20 Format

Six teams will compete at the ILT20 2024 in a double round-robin format, with the top four sides competing in the playoffs that will be held from February 13 to February 17. Each win will fetch a side two points while a draw will give one point, with a total of 34 matches being played.

Like the Indian Premier League, the first playoff match between the first and second-placed teams of the UAE T20 League will be a qualifier for the final, while the clash between the third and fourth-placed teams will clash for the eliminator. The second eliminator will be between the loser of the qualifier and the winner of the eliminator matches.

ILT20 Teams: 2024

Among the few teams competing in UAE’s International League T20 tournament, few have an affiliation with the IPL franchises. The champions of ILT20 2023 Gulf Giants are affiliated with the Women's Indian Premier League side Gujarat Giants.

UAE T20 League Teams

• Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
• Desert Vipers
• Dubai Capitals
• Gulf Giants
• MI Emirates
• Sharjah Warriors

As the names suggest, only Gulf Giants, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals and MI Emirates are affiliated with Gujarat Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, respectively.

ILT20 Teams Owners

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders franchise is owned by Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who is an owner of the Knight Riders Group. The team is captained by KKR’s star all-arounder Sunil Narine with their home ground being Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Desert Vipers

The Desert Vipers franchise is owned by Avram A. Glazer, who is a member of the Glazer family. Apart from the UAE T20 league team, he also owns the National Football League (NFL) team Tampa Bay Buccaneers and holds a majority ownership in English Premier League side Manchester United. Captained by New Zealand’s Colin Munro, the Desert Vipers’ home venue is the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Dubai Capitals

The Dubai Capitals are owned by GMR Group, which promotes IPL side Delhi Capitals and Pro Kabaddi League side UP Yodha among multiple other franchises. Australian veteran David Warner is the captain of this side and the team shares their home venue -  Dubai International Cricket Stadium - with the Desert Vipers.

Gulf Giants

The first-ever champions of the UAE T20 League, the Gulf Giants are owned by Adani Sportsline Pvt.Ltd, the owners of Gujarat Giants, their common franchise team name in Pro Kabaddi League, Women’s Indian Premier League, Legends League Cricket, Big Bout Boxing League and Ultimate Kho Kho. Captained by James Vince, Gulf Giants also has the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as their home venue.

MI Emirates

Owned by Indiawin Sports Private Limited, whose most successful venture has been five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians, MI Emirates is captained by West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran with Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium as their home ground.  Indiawin Sports Private Limited also owns SA20 League’s MI Cape Town, WPL’s Mumbai Indians Women and MLC’s MI New York.

Sharjah Warriors

The Sharjah Warriors are owned by Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd, a diversified non-banking financial company. Captained by England’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore, the Warriors’ home venue is the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

ILT20 2024 Squads Full List 

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Brandon McMullen, Charith Asalanka, David Willey, Jake Lintott, Joe Clarke, Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Marchant de Lange, Matiullah Khan, Michael Pepper, Ravi Bopara, Sabir Ali, Sam Hain, Sunil Narine (captain), Imad Wasim.

Desert Vipers

Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Colin Munro (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Michael Jones, Rohan Mustafa, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga, Nathan Sowter, Dan Lawrence.

Gulf Giants

Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Dominic Drakes, Gerhard Erasmus, Jamie Overton, James Vince (captain), Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Karim Janat, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shimon Hetmyer.

Dubai Capitals

Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, David Warner (captain), Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Max Holden, Mohammad Mohsin, Nuwan Thushara, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Raja Akif, Roman Powell, Roelof van der Merwe, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza.

MI Emirates

Akeal Hosein, Ambati Rayudu, Andre Fletcher, Corey Anderson, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, Kusal Perera, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran (captain), Nosthush Kenjige, Odean Smith, Trent Boult, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Waqar Salamkheil, Will Smeed, Zahoor Khan.

Sharjah Warriors

Chris Sole, Chris Woakes, Daniel Sams, Dilshan Madushanka, James Fuller, Joe Denly, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Kusal Mendis, Lewis Gregory, Mahesh Theekshana, Mark Deyal, Mark Watt, Martin Guptill, Muhammad Jawadullah, Qais Ahmad, Sean Williams, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (captain).

ILT20 live streaming and broadcast details

Zee Network and Sony Six in India will carry the live broadcast of the ILT20 2024. Where in India is the ILT20 2024 livestream available? The Zee5 app and website in India will have live coverage of the ILT20 2024.

Who are the key overseas players in ILT20 2024?

Apart from the six captains of each team that are mentioned above, ILT20 2024 also features prominent T20 specialists like Chris Lynn, Finn Allen, Shimron Hetmyer, and Carlos Brathwaite, who are known for their hard-hitting gameplay.