Abu Dhabi T10 set for reboot with stability as the primary goal

The Abu Dhabi T10 league is undergoing a major administrative restructure. Earlier in 2026, the Abu Dhabi government acquired majority ownership of the tournament through the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH), with the stated aim of bringing lasting stability to a competition that has faced persistent governance and ownership difficulties since its founding.

The league was established in 2017 by UAE businessman Shaji ul Mulk as the world's first T10 format competition. Over the years, the number of participating franchises has ranged from six to eighteen, with eight teams competing last season. Frequent changes in franchise ownership have been identified as a core structural problem that the new administration is determined to resolve.

The restructure has taken place against a backdrop of corruption concerns. In September 2023, eight individuals connected to one franchise were charged with breaches of the ICC anti-corruption code. Adding to those concerns, American cricketer B Akhilesh Reddy received an eight-year ban after being found guilty of anti-corruption violations during last season's edition of the league.

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What does the new ownership structure aim to change?

With ADCSH holding majority ownership, the administration has moved to establish a more transparent and structured franchise model. Deloitte has been appointed as an independent advisor to manage the bidding process. A global Invitation-to-Bid opened on July 3, 2026 and closed on July 16, 2026, with successful franchise owners expected to be confirmed in August 2026. Abu Dhabi Sports Council CEO Matt Boucher was direct about the ownership model the league now intends to pursue.

"I do think that a number of challenges occurred in the past where that had an impact on the brand name of Abu Dhabi. We want regular team owners, we want long-term contracts, so we don't work in a world where we're on one to two-year rotating agreements and then changing everything from year to year. The strength of any event is based on longer term contracts, and that's something that we're really focussed on now," said Boucher as quoted by Cricinfo.

The administration has also reached out to investors from South Asia, including those who own franchises in the IPL and the ILT20.

"I think it's fair to say that there's been some outreach with owners and investors that we are familiar with from South Asia. And that gives us a nice moment of recognition that if the world's best teams and the world's best franchise owners are interested in a product in Abu Dhabi, then it makes us confident that we're doing the right thing and we're proceeding along the right steps," said Boucher.

What are the confirmed next steps for the 2026 tournament?

The 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 is scheduled to run from November 7 to November 20 at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The league will field eight teams for the upcoming tournament, with no plans to expand beyond that number at this stage.

"And that was something that we couldn't control because third party team owners were making decisions that had a negative impact on the brand of Abu Dhabi," Boucher said.

The administration has confirmed there are no current plans to collaborate with or expand into Dubai or Saudi Arabia. Governance improvements within the existing structure remain the priority for the next three years.

"We've definitely got enough on our plates at the moment to enhance the governance and where we want to get to with the event. We know we've got five or six areas to improve. And if we can nail all of those then that might be something in the future, but certainly not in the next three years," Boucher concluded.