Inaugural ILT20 to start on January 13, Dubai to host first game

UAE's six-team International League T20 is all set to kickstart in January 2023. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Sharjah Warriors, Desert Vipers will be the participating teams and with 34 matches overall in place, the format of the tournament will allow each franchise to play against each other twice alongside four playoffs.  

The franchises in the UAE league are owned by IPL team owners of Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals. Further, the owners of Manchester United FC, Lancer Capital also own a franchise.

The IPL owners have also invested in some of the franchises, and the fact that each playing XI can consist of a maximum of nine overseas players makes it quite interesting. Despite the packed schedule around the world in terms of franchise cricket, several big names have signed up for the league and it remains to be seen if the other leagues tend to get a major hit.  

Meanwhile, Dubai will host the first game on January 13, with the final set to be held on February 12. The tournament is expected to feature some of the biggest T20 names like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Trent Boult, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Sikandar Raza. 

ILT20 League to clash with other leagues 

Notably, as many as four franchise leagues will take place during the ILT20 schedule window. The maiden edition of South Africa’s T20 League, the SA20 has announced schedule from January 10 to February 11.  

Apart from that, Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) 2022-23 season goes on from the month of December to February 4 while Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 season is set to begin on February 9. The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) usually takes place during the same time and it will be interesting to see the players choosing their preferred league to play with the number of leagues clashing at the same time.