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ILT20 Season 5 Preview: What to Expect This Season

Previews · By the ILT20 Web Desk · Published 31 October 2026, 9:40 am GST (10:40 am PKT)

Last updated: 31 October 2026.

ILT20 Season 5 is a 34-match franchise T20 in the United Arab Emirates, from 21 November to 20 December 2026. Six teams stay in place. Desert Vipers, the defending champions, open against MI Emirates in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST. That is last season's final, replayed as Match 1. Dates and grounds are on the ILT20 Season 5 schedule.

When Does ILT20 Season 5 Start and End?

The fixture list opens on 21 November 2026 and closes with the final on 20 December. An April window had pointed at 22 November. The 7 October release moved Match 1 forward a day. This preview follows the fixture list, and says so. Night games are 6:30 pm GST, which is 7:30 pm PKT and 8:00 pm IST. Afternoon games are listed at 2:00 pm GST.

ILT20 Season 5 Teams and Captains

No new franchise joined. Owners are to be announced on the team pages. The captain and coach column is the published season table.

ILT20 Season 5 Venues

Dubai International Cricket Stadium holds 15 matches, including the opener and the final. Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi holds 11, including Qualifier 1. Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds 8, including Qualifier 2. Capacities used here are 25,000, 20,000 and 16,000.

Biggest Storylines Going Into ILT20 Season 5

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

Holder captains, Bravo coaches, and the side still has no ILT20 title after four seasons. Captain Jason Holder. Coach Dwayne Bravo. Squad size on the compiled list: 20.

Desert Vipers

Defending champions, with Babar Azam taking the armband for his first ILT20 season. Captain Babar Azam. Coach James Foster. Squad size on the compiled list: 22.

Dubai Capitals

The 2025 champions rebuilt around Faf du Plessis, Phil Salt and a returning Marcus Stoinis. Captain Faf du Plessis. Coach Hemang Badani. Squad size on the compiled list: 22.

Gulf Giants

The inaugural champions loaded the top order with Buttler, Klaasen, Miller and Livingstone. Captain Jos Buttler. Coach Simon Helmot. Squad size on the compiled list: 23.

MI Emirates

Runners-up in January, now coached by Mark Boucher and holders of the record auction bid. Captain Nicholas Pooran. Coach Mark Boucher. Squad size on the compiled list: 22.

Sharjah Warriorz

Vince keeps the captaincy. The attack includes Adil Rashid and last season's leading bowler award winner, Waqar Salamkheil. Captain James Vince. Coach Adrian Birrell. Squad size on the compiled list: 22.

The auction sat in Dubai on 1 October 2026. Reports differ on the room, Jumeirah or the ICC Academy. The date is the part the squads need. Prices this desk repeats are on the auction page, led by Farooqi at a reported USD 380,000. See the 2026 ILT20 season page.

Players Who Could Define ILT20 Season 5

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq Farooqi is on a Season 5 list as a bowler from Afghanistan. The established method is left-arm fast-medium. The reported fee was USD 380,000 to MI Emirates, via auction. A squad place is not the same thing as a starting place. Availability for any one night is still to be announced.

Babar Azam

Babar Azam is on a Season 5 list as a batter from Pakistan. The established method is right-hand bat. The reported fee was USD 80,000 to Desert Vipers, via auction. A squad place is not the same thing as a starting place. Availability for any one night is still to be announced.

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler is on a Season 5 list as a wicketkeeper from England. The established method is right-hand bat. No auction price is listed for this player because we could not verify one in the reports we checked. A squad place is not the same thing as a starting place. Availability for any one night is still to be announced.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is on a Season 5 list as a bowler from Afghanistan. The established method is right-arm legbreak. No auction price is listed for this player because we could not verify one in the reports we checked. A squad place is not the same thing as a starting place. Availability for any one night is still to be announced.

James Vince

James Vince is on a Season 5 list as a batter from England. The established method is right-hand bat. No auction price is listed for this player because we could not verify one in the reports we checked. A squad place is not the same thing as a starting place. Availability for any one night is still to be announced.

Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis is on a Season 5 list as a batter from South Africa. The established method is right-hand bat. The reported fee was USD 300,000 to Dubai Capitals, via auction. A squad place is not the same thing as a starting place. Availability for any one night is still to be announced.

ILT20 Season 5 Format and Qualification

Each side plays each other side twice. Thirty games set the top four. Qualifier 1 is 16 December in Abu Dhabi. The eliminator is 17 December in Dubai. Qualifier 2 is 18 December in Sharjah. The final is 20 December in Dubai. No match is listed on 19 December. Previous seasons used two points for a win. The Season 5 conditions PDF was not in the pack checked on 30 October 2026.

Our ILT20 Season 5 Early Prediction

The early opinion, which can be wrong, puts Desert Vipers first because they just won it and did not empty the bowling group. MI Emirates are next because they bought the record fee and reached the last final. Gulf Giants third on batting depth. That is a sketch, not a percentage.

Opening week, match by match

Match 1 is the rematch people will watch: Desert Vipers against MI Emirates in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST on 21 November. Match 2 the next afternoon is Sharjah Warriorz against Gulf Giants in Sharjah. Match 3 that night is Dubai Capitals against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, back in Dubai. Warriorz then meet the Vipers in Sharjah on 23 November. Gulf Giants meet MI Emirates in Dubai on 24 November. Capitals meet Vipers in Dubai on 25 November. Knight Riders open their Abu Dhabi account against MI Emirates on 26 November. Warriorz meet Capitals in Sharjah on 27 November. That is eight games before the first double-city Saturday. An April window had pointed at a 22 November start. The 7 October fixture list moved Match 1 to the 21st. This preview follows that list.

Owners are still to be announced on the team pages. Ticket prices, most television deals and the Season 5 prize are the same kind of blank. Afghanistan rights sit with ATN, reported on 27 October 2026. The points table stays six rows of zeros until the opener produces a result. A preview that ranks clubs before that is an opinion about squads, and the opinion section says so. Desert Vipers are the name at the top of that opinion because they won the last final and did not empty the bowling group. It is a sketch.

ILT20 Season 5 still has open rows: ticket prices, most TV deals, owners, leftover purses and the prize. Afghanistan rights sit with ATN. The rest of the watch list is to be announced. The opener remains Desert Vipers against MI Emirates on 21 November.

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