Home / News / ILT20 Pitch Report: What We Will and Will Not Say
ILT20 Pitch Report: What We Will and Will Not Say
Last updated: 31 October 2026.
An ILT20 pitch report that quotes a Season 5 average before the matches exist is fiction. This guide says what the grounds are, and stops. The venues hub has capacities and match counts.
ILT20 Pitch Report: Step-by-Step Guide
- Read the ground, not a blog from 2023.
- Note the start time. Afternoon and night are different heat.
- Refuse any average that has no sample.
- Wait for the first week before you talk about toss bias.
- Update a prediction only after a real score exists.
ILT20 Pitch Report by Venue
Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Opener on 21 November and the final on 20 December are both here. Fifteen of the 34 matches are scheduled in Dubai. Capacity 25,000. 15 Season 5 matches.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Eight matches, including Qualifier 2 on 18 December. Sharjah's smaller ground has a long history of short boundaries and high scoring, but a Season 5 pitch report is not published yet. Capacity 16,000. 8 Season 5 matches.
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium
Eleven matches, including Qualifier 1 on 16 December. Abu Dhabi's first game is on 26 November. Capacity 20,000. 11 Season 5 matches.
Costs, Timings and Important Dates
There is no ticket price in a pitch note. Timings still matter. Afternoon starts at 2:00 pm GST take more of the warm part of the day than a 6:30 pm start. In late November the UAE is comfortable at night and still hot in an early afternoon lower tier. That is a fan fact, not a swing-bowling law. First ball is 21 November 2026.
Practical Tips for ILT20 Season 5 Fans
Sharjah is the smallest of the three on the capacity list, 16,000, and it has a long reputation for batting sides getting away. Abu Dhabi is larger and has often played slower in day games. Dubai hosts 15 matches, so you will see a lot of whatever that strip is. Do not turn those sentences into a bowl-first rule for all 34 nights.
Mistakes Fans Should Avoid
Do not copy a borrowed average with no sample size. Do not blame dew for every chase before the season starts. Do not treat a 2024 pitch blog as a 2026 law. Do not let a fantasy page invent a first-innings par score.
ILT20 Pitch Report: Final Checklist
What each ground hosts
Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai is listed for 15 matches, 15 at 6:30 pm GST and 0 at 2:00 pm GST. Capacity 25,000. Opener on 21 November and the final on 20 December are both here. Fifteen of the 34 matches are scheduled in Dubai. A ticket for this ground is not a ticket for the other two. Gate times and parking tariffs are to be announced by the venue, not copied from a 2024 blog.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah is listed for 8 matches, 7 at 6:30 pm GST and 1 at 2:00 pm GST. Capacity 16,000. Eight matches, including Qualifier 2 on 18 December. Sharjah's smaller ground has a long history of short boundaries and high scoring, but a Season 5 pitch report is not published yet. A ticket for this ground is not a ticket for the other two. Gate times and parking tariffs are to be announced by the venue, not copied from a 2024 blog.
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi is listed for 11 matches, 6 at 6:30 pm GST and 5 at 2:00 pm GST. Capacity 20,000. Eleven matches, including Qualifier 1 on 16 December. Abu Dhabi's first game is on 26 November. A ticket for this ground is not a ticket for the other two. Gate times and parking tariffs are to be announced by the venue, not copied from a 2024 blog.
Days when the triangle matters
Sunday 22 November 2026: Match 2 is Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants in Sharjah at 2:00 pm GST. Match 3 is Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST.
Saturday 28 November 2026: Match 9 is MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers in Abu Dhabi at 2:00 pm GST. Match 10 is Gulf Giants vs Dubai Capitals in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST.
Sunday 29 November 2026: Match 11 is Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriorz in Abu Dhabi at 2:00 pm GST. Match 12 is Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST.
Wednesday 2 December 2026: Match 15 is Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers in Abu Dhabi at 2:00 pm GST. Match 16 is Dubai Capitals vs MI Emirates in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST.
Sunday 6 December 2026: Match 20 is MI Emirates vs Sharjah Warriorz in Abu Dhabi at 2:00 pm GST. Match 21 is Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST.
Sunday 13 December 2026: Match 28 is MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals in Abu Dhabi at 2:00 pm GST. Match 29 is Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers in Dubai at 6:30 pm GST.
Dubai is the opener and the final. Abu Dhabi is Qualifier 1. Sharjah is Qualifier 2. Treat those as three trips, not one campus with three gates. Family groups often find the afternoon clock easier, with the warning that a T20 crowd can still be loud.
Do not turn a reputation into a bowl-first rule for all 34 nights. Sharjah is the smallest ground on this list, at 16,000, and it has a long history of batting sides getting away. Abu Dhabi is larger and has often played slower in day games. Dubai hosts 15 matches, so you will see a lot of whatever that strip is. Afternoon starts at 2:00 pm GST take more of the warm part of the day than a 6:30 pm start. In late November the UAE is comfortable at night and still hot in an early afternoon lower tier. That is a fan fact, not a swing-bowling law. Dew gets blamed for a lot of chases. Sometimes the chase was just better. A Season 5 first-innings average is to be announced, because this desk will not republish an old sample as if it were new.
Ground, clock, and the words 'to be announced' next to any Season 5 average. The ILT20 pitch report can get specific after matches exist. Before that, reputation is not a number. Checked 30 October 2026.
ILT20 Pitch Report FAQs
Should I assume Sharjah is a batting ground?
It has that reputation, and it is the smallest of the three grounds. A Season 5 average is not published here, because it has not been recomputed. Anything we could not confirm by 30 October 2026 is marked to be announced.
What is the average first-innings score?
To be announced. This desk has not republished an old sample as if it were a Season 5 number. Anything we could not confirm by 30 October 2026 is marked to be announced. We will update this answer, with a date, when a public source confirms more.
Does dew decide ILT20 chases?
Sometimes dew is the reason. Sometimes the chase was better. A bowl-first rule for all 34 games is a habit from other months, not a reading of this schedule. Anything we could not confirm by 30 October 2026 is marked to be announced.
Which ground hosts the most games?
Dubai, with 15, including the opener and the final. Abu Dhabi has 11. Sharjah has 8. Anything we could not confirm by 30 October 2026 is marked to be announced. We will update this answer, with a date, when a public source confirms more.
When can this pitch report get real numbers?
After matches are played and the figures are taken from those games, not from a copied table. The date stamp will move when that happens. Anything we could not confirm by 30 October 2026 is marked to be announced.