In the inaugural edition of the ILT20, 34 matches will be played
Dubai Capitals and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will clash on January 13 in Dubai in the opening match of the first edition of the International League T20 (ILT20). MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriors will be involved in the second match of the tournament on January 14, while Gulf Giants and Desert Vipers will face the Knight Riders and Warriors respectively on January 15, which will be the first day of the double-header of the competition .
The final is scheduled for February 12 and will also take place at the Dubai International Stadium. There will be five double-headers, with the afternoon matches starting at 14:00 local time (15:30 IST) while the evening matches will be played at 18:00 local time (19:30 IST).
A total of 34 matches will be played in the inaugural edition of the ILT20, with 30 matches for the league stage and four, including the final, in the playoff stage. Dubai International Stadium will host 16 matches, Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi will host 10 matches and eight matches will be played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
All teams will play each other twice, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. The top two teams will play Qualifier 1 on February 8 in Dubai, while the third and fourth placed teams will face off in the Eliminator on February 9 in Sharjah. The loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator will face off on February 10 in Dubai.
The inaugural season of the ILT20 will be up against many leagues. The SA20 will be held from January 10 to February 11, while the Big Bash League, which starts in December, concludes on February 4. The Bangladesh Premier League will also be played in the January-February window.
Despite the tight schedule, ILT20 will have plenty of star power. MI Emirates have the likes of Trent Boult, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard and Imran Tahir in their line-up. Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Charith Asalanka are among the players signed up for the Knight Riders, while Alex Hales, Sheldon Cottrell and Wanindu Hasaranga are among those in the Vipers’ squad.
The Capitals have signed up many Sri Lankans, including Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka and Dushmantha Chameera, along with Sikandar Raza and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Chris Lynn, Chris Jordan, James Vince Liam Dawson and Ollie Pope are among the English giants. Moeen Ali, Evin Lewis, Dawid Malan and Chris Woakes are among the big players in the Warriors line-up.