International League T20

Last updated

International League T20
ILT20 logo.jpeg
Countries United Arab Emirates
Administrator Emirates Cricket Board
Format Twenty20
First edition 2023
Latest edition 2024
Next edition 2025
Tournament format Round-robin and playoffs
Number of teams6
Current champion MI Emirates
(1st title)
Most successful Gulf Giants
MI Emirates
(1 title each)
Most runs James Vince (795)
Most wickets Chris Jordan (31)
Website www.ilt20.ae

The International League T20 (ILT20) also endorsed as the DP World ILT20 for sponsorship reasons is a T20 cricket tournament being played in the United Arab Emirates. It is sanctioned by Emirates Cricket Board. [1] [2]

Contents

The first edition of the tournament was originally scheduled to take place during January and February 2023, but it was rescheduled to take place from January 2024, with six teams competing. [3] In June 2022, the league was formally named the International League T20, with the dates for the first season also being confirmed. [4]

Matches in Season 1 were played using standard Twenty20 formats, statistics were not included in official records because Emirates Cricket Board is not a full-member of the International Cricket Council.

ILT20 becomes first Associate-run franchise league to get 'official' List-A status in December 2023. [5]

Overview

The International League T20 (ILT20) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates. The league was founded in 2022 and is sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). The inaugural season of the ILT20 took place from January 13 to February 12, 2023, with six teams competing. The teams were: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders , Dubai Capitals, Desert Vipers , Gulf Giants , MI Emirates , Sharjah Warriors.

The ILT20 is played in a double round-robin format, with each team playing each other team twice. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs. The playoffs consist of a semi-final, a third-place play-off, and a final.

The first ILT20 season was won by the Gulf Giants, who defeated Desert Vipers in the final. The tournament was a success, with good crowds and positive feedback from players and fans. The ILT20 is expected to become a major cricket league in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East. The league has a number of rules designed to help young players develop, such as a requirement that each team must have at least two players under the age of 23.

Franchises owners as Knight Riders Group, Reliance Industries, GMR Group along with Lancer Capitals, Adani Group and Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd were announced as owners of the teams. [6] [7] Three original IPL franchises owners (i.e. the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals) also got the chance to sign up to four players from their current IPL squads. [8]

Background

The UAE-based ILT20, one of the major franchise-run T20 leagues around the world despite being just a season old because of the quality of players it has attracted, has been given List A status by the ICC just over a month off the start of its second season. It's the first T20 league run by the board of an Associate nation to be given the status. [5]

What it means is that the tournament will now be recognised as an official T20 tournament, with all tournament statistics given official status. In a statement, the ILT20 called the update "a major milestone" and a "major boost".

"Earning the List A status is a major milestone for the DP World International League T20. We would like to thank the ICC for the acknowledgment," David White, chief executive of the league, said. "The recognition is a clear indication of the strength and stature of our league."

The second edition of the tournament will kick off on January 19 and end on February 17. [9] [10]

The upcoming second season of the International League T20 (ILT20) is about to start, and there are some exciting new changes in the playing rules, namely the introduction of the Super Sub and the Wildcard entry. These rule changes aim to make the tournament more thrilling for teams and enhance their squads.

David White, the ILT20 CEO, expressed his enthusiasm about these changes. He said, “We are excited to introduce the Super-Sub and Wildcard in the DP World ILT20 Season 2. The Wildcard will help the teams further strengthen their squads in the lead-up and during the season while the Super-Sub provides the teams the tactical option of replacing a player during a match. The DP World ILT20 saw some thrilling on-field action in Season 1, season 2 features are set to make the tournament even more interesting and engaging for both the spectators at the stadiums and viewers from around the world.”

Let's understand what the Super Sub rule entails. Each team can now substitute one player at any point in the match, but this substitution must occur only after the first over of the innings. If requested, the Super Sub can be brought in at the start of the second innings. However, once substituted, a player cannot return to the game.

Here's how the Super Sub process works: The Head Coach informs the fourth umpire, and then the on-field umpires signal the scorers by crossing their wrists above their head, indicating the introduction of a Super Sub. The Super Sub can join after an over is completed or, if the player is a batter, they can enter when a wicket falls or when a batter retires during the over. For the bowling team, they can use a Super Sub when a wicket falls, but if it happens mid-over, the Super Sub cannot bowl the remaining balls in that over.

Now, let's delve into the Wildcard rule! Each team has the option to add two players to their roster, going beyond the permitted limit of 22 players. However, if a team has already spent the maximum of $2.5 million, they can only spend a maximum of 10% of the salary cap, which is $250,000.

If a team hasn't reached the maximum salary spend of $2.5 million, they can use the remaining amount. Additionally, they can spend an extra $250,000 if needed, but they must remain within the Wildcard player spend limit.

The Wildcard players can join the tournament at any stage, but they cannot be replaced by any other replacement or Wildcard players once they've been included.

These new rules aim to add excitement and strategic elements to the tournament, offering teams more flexibility in managing their squads throughout the season. [11]

Teams

The following teams and their owners were announced as taking part in the tournament: [12]

TeamCityHome groundFoundedCaptainCoachOwner
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium 2023 Sunil Narine Bharat Arun Knight Riders Group
Desert Vipers Sharjah Sharjah Cricket Stadium 2023 Colin Munro James Foster Avram Glazer
Dubai Capitals Dubai Dubai International Cricket Stadium 2023 David Warner Phil Simmons GMR Group
Gulf Giants Dubai Dubai International Cricket Stadium 2023 James Vince Andy Flower Adani Sportsline Pvt.Ltd
MI Emirates Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium 2023 Nicholas Pooran Robin Singh Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd
Sharjah Warriors Sharjah Sharjah Cricket Stadium 2023 Tom Kohler-Cadmore Paul Farbrace Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd

Tournament seasons and results

Number of titles

TeamTitle(s)Runner-upSeasons wonSeasons runner-upNo. of seasons played
Gulf Giants 1 2023 2
MI Emirates 2024
Desert Vipers 1 2023
Dubai Capitals 2024
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Sharjah Warriors

Finals

SeasonWinnerWinning marginRunner-upFinal venuePlayer of the series
2023 Gulf Giants
149/3 (18.4 overs)
Gulf Giants won by 7 wickets
Scorecard
Desert Vipers
146/8 (20 overs)
Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Chris Jordan (GG)
2024 MI Emirates
208/3 (20 overs)
MI Emirates won by 45 runs
Scorecard
Dubai Capitals
163/7 (20 overs)
Sikandar Raza (DC)

Teams' performances

Season 2023 2024
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 6th4th
Dubai Capitals 4thRU
Desert Vipers RU5th
Gulf Giants C3rd
MI Emirates 3rdC
Sharjah Warriors 5th6th

Ground

United Arab Emirates
Dubai Sharjah Abu Dhabi
Dubai International Cricket Stadium Sharjah Cricket Stadium Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium
Capacity: 25,000Capacity: 16,000Capacity: 20,000
Dubai Sports City Pak vs Aussies.jpg SharjahCricket.JPG Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium-01.jpg

Rules

The ILT20 has a number of rules which vary from the established Laws of cricket or those used in other Twenty20 leagues:

Reactions

There has been some controversy around the ILT20's plan to only require one local (UAE) player in the playing XI of each team, with several Full Members calling for regulations requiring a higher minimum number of local players in the ILT20 and other T20 leagues. [15] 108 million people tuned in from across India even though attendance was low. [16] Attendance was low due to lack of participation of Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cricketers. [17]

Broadcasters

In May 2021, Essel Group owned Zee Entertainment Enterprises bought the media rights of this league for ten years from 2023 to 2032 at a cost of US$120 million. [18] [19]

International Broadcasters [20]

Territory/RegionChannel
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan Ariana TV
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Fox Cricket
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh Nagorik TV
T Sports
Toffee [21]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Willow TV
Flag of CARICOM.svg  Caribbean Rush Sports (2024)
Flag of India.svg  India Zee Cinema
Zee Anmol Cinema
Zee Zest
Zee Thirai
Zee Bangla Cinema
&Pictures
&Flix and Sony Sports Network 2025-32 (merger with ZEE)
Zee5(Live Streaming Free)
Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives MediaNet
MENA CricLife 3
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal Net TV Nepal
Sim TV Nepal
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Sky Sports NZ
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan PTV Sports
Geo Super
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka Supreme TV
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK BT Sport
Zee TV
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Willow TV

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Singh (cricketer)</span> Indian cricketer

Rabindra Ramnarine "Robin" Singh is an Indian former cricketer and cricket coach. He represented India in one Test and 136 ODIs between 1989 and 2001 as an all-rounder. He has coached the Indian Premier League's Mumbai Indians since 2010 and the Caribbean Premier League's Barbados Tridents since 2013. He has also coached the Deccan Chargers in the IPL's inaugural year. As a player, he was known for his calmness and ability to perform under pressure. He brought to Indian cricket world class fielding. He was a part of the squad which finished as runners-up at the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy.

Kieron Adrian Pollard is a former Trinidadian cricketer, who captained the West Indies cricket team in limited overs cricket. He currently plays in various T20 leagues around the globe as an all-rounder. He also captains MI Emirates and MI New York in the ILT20 and MLC respectively. He is currently serving as the batting coach of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He was part of the 2012 ICC World T20 winning team for West Indies. During his period, he was one of the most aggressive batsman and he also has the record of six 6s in an over against Sri Lanka.

The Betway T20 Challenge is a domestic Twenty20 Cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in the 2003–04 season. It was previously known as the Standard Bank Pro20 Series until the 2010–11 season, the MiWay T20 Challenge for the 2011–12 season and most recently as the RamSlam T20 Challenge. The current champions are the Imperial Lions, whilst the Titans have been the most successful with 6 title wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumbai Indians</span> Indian franchise cricket team

Mumbai Indians are a professional franchise cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is owned by India's biggest conglomerate, Reliance Industries, through its 100% subsidiary Indiawin Sports. Since its establishment, the team has played its home matches in the 33,108-capacity Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National T20 Cup</span> Mens professional domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Pakistan

The National T20 Cup is a men's professional domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Pakistan. Established in 2005, it is one of the world's oldest Twenty20 cricket leagues. It was the principal T20 competition in the country until 2016, when the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise tournament was introduced. Since 2019–20, the National T20 Cup has been contested by six regional teams, having previously been contested mainly by teams representing the various city, district and area cricket associations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emirates Cricket Board</span> Cricket Board of United Arab Emirates

Emirates Cricket Board is the governing body of certain cricket activities in United Arab Emirates. It is United Arab Emirates's representative at the International Cricket Council and is an Associate Member and has been a Member of that body since 1990. It is also a Member of the Asian Cricket Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert Vipers</span> Emirati Twenty20 cricket team

The Desert Vipers team is a Twenty20 franchise cricket team plays in the Emirati International League T20 (ILT20). It was one of the six teams that were announced for the inaugural season of the tournament. It was founded in 2022, and the team is owned by Lancer Capital LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Billings</span> English Cricketer

Samuel William Billings is an English professional cricketer. Billings is a right-handed batsman who fields as a wicket-keeper. He was born at Pembury in Kent and has played for Kent County Cricket Club sides since he was eight years old, making his senior debut for the First XI in 2011. In October 2017 he was appointed as the vice-captain of the team before being appointed as captain in January 2018, replacing Sam Northeast. He served as the club's captain until the end of the 2023 season when he resigned, although he retained the captaincy of the club's Twenty20 cricket side.

Lorcan John Tucker is an Irish cricketer and wicket-keeper batter.

Timothy Hays David is an Australian cricketer. He played for the Singapore national cricket team between 2019 and 2020, before switching allegiance to Australia in 2022. He was part of the Australian team's squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup. He has played for various Twenty20 franchise teams. He made his international debut for Singapore in July 2019 and played 14 T20Is making his debut for Australia in 2022 against India.

The 2020 Indian Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Indian Premier League, a professional Twenty20 cricket (T20) league established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2008. The tournament was originally scheduled to commence on 29 March 2020, but was suspended until 15 April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 14 April that the lockdown in India would last until at least 3 May 2020, the BCCI suspended the tournament indefinitely. On 2 August 2020, it was announced that the tournament would be played between 19 September and 10 November 2020 in the United Arab Emirates.The tagline was Ab Khel bolega:

Arjun Sachin Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer from Mumbai, Maharashtra. He is the son of former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and is a left-handed medium bowler and left-handed lower-order batsman. He plays for Goa in domestic cricket, having previously played for Mumbai and its junior teams.

Delhi Capitals are a Twenty20 franchise cricket team based in Delhi, India. The team will compete in the 2022 edition. Founded in 2008 as the Delhi Daredevils, the franchise is owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group. The team's home ground is Arun Jaitley Stadium, located in New Delhi. They will be the ten teams to compete in the 2022 Indian Premier League.

The 2023 International League T20, also known as the DP World ILT20 2023 for sponsorship reasons, was the inaugural season of the International League T20 (ILT20), a professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates, organised by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). In June 2022, it was confirmed that the season would be played in January and February 2023. The fixtures were announced on 29 November with the league set to run from January 13 to February 12.

The Bangladesh Premier League 2024, also known as BPL Season 10, was the tenth season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a top-level professional Twenty20 cricket league in Bangladesh. The league is organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The season started from 19 January and final was held on 1 March 2024. In September 2022, the BPL Governing Council announced the seven franchises which took part in the tournament. Comilla Victorians were the defending champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Dhabi Knight Riders</span> Cricket team in UAEs ILT20

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) is a professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team. that competes from the inaugural season of International League T20 (ILT20). Originally announced in 2022, the team is based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharjah Warriors</span> Emirati Twenty20 cricket team

Sharjah Warriors is a Twenty20 franchise cricket team that plays in the International League T20 (ILT20). It was one of the six teams that were announced for the inaugural season of the tournament. It was founded in 2022, and the team is owned by Capri Global.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Giants</span> Cricket team in UAEs ILT20

The Gulf Giants is a franchise cricket team that participates in the International League T20. It was one of the six teams that were announced for the inaugural season of the tournament.. It was founded in 2022, and the team is owned by Adani Group under its subsidiary Adani Sportsline, which also owns other sports teams like Gujarat Giants in PKL and Gujarat Giants in WPL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubai Capitals</span> Twenty20 Cricket team

Dubai Capitals is a United Arab Emirates professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that first competed in the inaugural season of International League T20 tournament. The team is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and was formed in 2022. The team's home-ground is the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The team is coached by Phil Simmons.

The 2024 International League T20 was the second season of the International League T20, a professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates, organised by the Emirates Cricket Board. The tournament was played from 19 January 2024 and the final was held on 17 February 2024. Gulf Giants were the defending champions. The matches were granted List A status by the ICC for fielding less domestic players as stipulated.

References

  1. SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "KKR, Mumbai Indians set to become franchise owners in UAE-based Premier League T20". ESPN Cricinfo.
  2. SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "UAE'S PREMIER LEAGUE T20 SETS DATES AND UNVEILS TOURNAMENT LOGO". Emirates Cricket Board.
  3. "Flush With Cash And Influential Backing, The UAE's New T20 League Is Set To Shake Up Cricket Globally". Forbes.
  4. SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "UAE T20 league announces early-2023 window, set for clash of dates with BBL, BPL and CSA league". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  5. 1 2 SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "ILT20 becomes first Associate-run franchise league to get 'official' List-A status". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  6. "Shah Rukh Khan Leads Acquisition of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Cricket Franchise". Variety. 12 May 2022.
  7. "Manchester United co-chairman Avram Glazer buys franchise in new UAE T20 cricket league". Sky Sports.
  8. SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "IPL franchises to have first right to sign their players in UAE T20 league". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  9. SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "DP World ILT20 Season 2 to be played between 19 January to 18 February 2024". ilt20.ae. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  10. SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "Gulf Giants, Sharjah Warriors to play ILT20 opener on January 19". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  11. "Wild Cards and Super Subs introduced for the second season of the ILT20".
  12. SAGAR Singh Chauhan. "Knight Riders Group acquires Abu Dhabi franchise in upcoming UAE T20 League". ESPNCricinfo.
  13. 1 2 "UAE T20 league sets $450,000 contract for top players". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  14. Laghate, Gaurav. "ZEE signs exclusive media rights deal for Emirates Cricket Board's UAE T20 League". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  15. "Full Members concerned over idea of nine overseas players per XI in UAE league". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  16. "ILT20 Achieves New Milestone: Clocks over 10-crore reach and 2.8 billion minutes across ZEE's 10 linear channels in the first 9 LIVE matches". Zee Business. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  17. Priya (19 January 2023). "Participants in ILT20 are positive about the league". SportsUnfold. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  18. Pinto, Viveat Susan (24 May 2022). "Zee re-enters sports broadcasting, picks up media rights for UAE T20 League". Business Standard India. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  19. SAGAR Singh Chauhan (24 May 2022). "Zee bags media rights for UAE T20 league globally". Business Line. The Hindu. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  20. SAGAR Singh Chauhan (13 January 2023). "ILT20 Broadcasting Channels and Live Streaming Details 2023" . Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  21. "Toffee exclusively livestreaming International League T20".