The DP World ILT20 2026 (Season 5) starts on Saturday, November 21, with defending champions Desert Vipers taking on MI Emirates at Dubai International Stadium in a repeat of last year’s final. The tournament runs for 30 days across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with 34 matches, six double-header days and the final on December 20 at Dubai International Stadium.
Because of the time difference, Indian fans will be watching in the afternoon and evening. Afternoon matches start at 3:30 PM IST (2:00 PM local) and evening matches at 8:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local). This guide covers the full ILT20 2026 schedule with start times in IST, every venue, the format and the squads of all six teams.
International League T20 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | DP World ILT20 2026 (Season 5) |
| Total matches | 34 (30 league matches, Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and Final) |
| Dates | November 21 to December 20, 2026 |
| Host cities | Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah |
| Teams | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Sharjah Warriorz |
| Defending champions | Desert Vipers |
| Format | Double round-robin, top four to the playoffs |
| Afternoon start time | 3:30 PM IST (2:00 PM local) |
| Evening start time | 8:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local) |
| TV channel in India | Zee network |
| Live streaming in India | ZEE5 |
International League T20 2026 Full Schedule and Start Times in IST
| Match | Date and Day | Fixture | Venue | Start Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Match | November 21, Saturday | Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 2nd Match | November 22, Sunday | Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 3:30 PM |
| 3rd Match | November 22, Sunday | Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 4th Match | November 23, Monday | Sharjah Warriorz vs Desert Vipers | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 8:00 PM |
| 5th Match | November 24, Tuesday | Gulf Giants vs MI Emirates | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 6th Match | November 25, Wednesday | Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 7th Match | November 26, Thursday | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 8:00 PM |
| 8th Match | November 27, Friday | Sharjah Warriorz vs Dubai Capitals | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 8:00 PM |
| 9th Match | November 28, Saturday | MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 3:30 PM |
| 10th Match | November 28, Saturday | Gulf Giants vs Dubai Capitals | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 11th Match | November 29, Sunday | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriorz | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 3:30 PM |
| 12th Match | November 29, Sunday | Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 13th Match | November 30, Monday | MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 8:00 PM |
| 14th Match | December 1, Tuesday | Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriorz | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 8:00 PM |
| 15th Match | December 2, Wednesday | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 3:30 PM |
| 16th Match | December 2, Wednesday | Dubai Capitals vs MI Emirates | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 17th Match | December 3, Thursday | Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 18th Match | December 4, Friday | Desert Vipers vs Sharjah Warriorz | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 8:00 PM |
| 19th Match | December 5, Saturday | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf Giants | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 8:00 PM |
| 20th Match | December 6, Sunday | MI Emirates vs Sharjah Warriorz | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 3:30 PM |
| 21st Match | December 6, Sunday | Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 22nd Match | December 7, Monday | MI Emirates vs Gulf Giants | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 8:00 PM |
| 23rd Match | December 8, Tuesday | Dubai Capitals vs Sharjah Warriorz | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 24th Match | December 9, Wednesday | Sharjah Warriorz vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 8:00 PM |
| 25th Match | December 10, Thursday | Dubai Capitals vs Gulf Giants | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 26th Match | December 11, Friday | Sharjah Warriorz vs MI Emirates | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 8:00 PM |
| 27th Match | December 12, Saturday | Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 28th Match | December 13, Sunday | MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 3:30 PM |
| 29th Match | December 13, Sunday | Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| 30th Match | December 14, Monday | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai Capitals | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 8:00 PM |
| Qualifier 1 | December 16, Wednesday | Seed 1 vs Seed 2 | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 8:00 PM |
| Eliminator | December 17, Thursday | Seed 3 vs Seed 4 | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
| Qualifier 2 | December 18, Friday | Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | 8:00 PM |
| Final | December 20, Sunday | Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai | 8:00 PM |
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Format
The six teams play each other twice in the league stage, which makes 10 league matches per team over 30 games. The top four teams at the end of the league stage move to the playoffs. The teams in first and second place play Qualifier 1, and the teams in third and fourth place play the Eliminator. The loser of Qualifier 1 then meets the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2, and the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 meet in the final. There are no matches on December 15 and December 19.
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International League T20 2026 Venues Guide
| Venue | City | Matches Hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai International Stadium | Dubai | 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 10th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th Matches, Eliminator, Final |
| Zayed Cricket Stadium | Abu Dhabi | 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 28th and 30th Matches, Qualifier 1 |
| Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Sharjah | 2nd, 4th, 8th, 14th, 18th, 24th and 26th Matches, Qualifier 2 |
Dubai International Stadium, Dubai
Dubai International Stadium hosts 15 matches, the most of any venue in the tournament, including the opener between Desert Vipers and MI Emirates on November 21, the Eliminator on December 17 and the final on December 20.
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Zayed Cricket Stadium, also known as Sheikh Zayed Stadium, hosts 11 matches, including Qualifier 1 on December 16.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosts eight matches, including Qualifier 2 on December 18. It also hosts the first afternoon match of the tournament, Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants on November 22.
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International League T20 2026 Squads
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Finn Allen, Jason Holder, Matthew Tromp, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Alishan Sharafu, Moeen Ali, Gulbadin Naib, Amshi de Silva, Usman Tariq, Arab Gul, Muhammad Rohid, Andre Fletcher, Michael Pepper, Jakeem Pollard, Qais Ahmad, Abdullah Tarakhail, Lorcan Tucker, Ravija Sandaruwan, Abdul Mannan Ali, Ajay Kumar, Ibrar Ahmed.
Desert Vipers
Andries Gous, Dan Lawrence, Shimron Hetmyer, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aneurin Donald, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Vriitya Aravind, Nangyalai Kharote, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Naseem Shah, David Payne, Babar Azam, Joe Clarke, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Saleem Safi, Harry Tector, Bilal Tahir, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Sanjay Pahal, Wali Muhammad, Nilansh Keswani.
Dubai Capitals
Marcus Stoinis, Mustafizur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rovman Powell, Faf du Plessis, Phil Salt, Sediqullah Atal, Dasun Shanaka, Hassan Khan, Aayan Afzal Khan, Mark Adair, Muhammad Arfan, Max Holden, Tom Moores, Luke Wood, Matt Potts, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli, Anudeep Chenthamara, Usman Najeeb, Haider Ali, Zuhair Zubair, Masood Gurbaz.
Gulf Giants
Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Blessing Muzarabani, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Liam Livingstone, David Wiese, Sagar Kalyan, Dhruv Parashar, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Tabraiz Shamsi, Alick Athanaze, Shubham Ranjane, Wahidullah Zadran, Imran Mir, Curtis Campher, Meet Bhavsar, Imtiaz Khan, Awais Ahmad, Haider Razzaq, Matiullah Khan.
MI Emirates
Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Rashid Khan, Asa Tribe, Muhammad Waseem, Kusal Perera, James Coles, Chris Jordan, Allah Ghazanfar, Zahoor Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Lizaad Williams, Jonny Bairstow, Jordan Thompson, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Ross Adair, Mohammad Shafeeq, Zain Ul Abidin, Wasim Akram, Raizal Nadir.
Sharjah Warriorz
James Vince, Paul Walter, Brandon McMullen, Tom Banton, George Linde, Sikandar Raza, Adam Milne, Mohammad Nabi, Tanish Suri, Ali Naseer, Richard Gleeson, Adil Rashid, Craig Overton, James Rew, Logan van Beek, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fareed Malik, Waqar Salamkheil, George Dockrell, Arunraj Selvaraj, Mohammad Saqib, Nabeel Aziz, Junaid Siddique.
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International League T20 2026 Live Streaming and TV Channel in India
Cricket fans across India can watch the live action on Zee’s linear TV channels and its OTT platform ZEE5.
Key Dates to Remember
- November 21: Tournament opener, Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates in Dubai
- November 22: First double header, Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants and Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
- December 14: Last day of the league stage, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai Capitals
- December 16: Qualifier 1 in Abu Dhabi
- December 17: Eliminator in Dubai
- December 18: Qualifier 2 in Sharjah
- December 20: Final at Dubai International Stadiu
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