ILT20 franchises retain star players ahead of season 3

Dubai, June 21, 2024: Six ILT20 teams have kept 69 players for the third season of the competition, which will take place in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah from Saturday, January 11, 2025, to Sunday, February 9, 2025.

The teams had two weeks to submit the list of players they wanted to keep when the opportunity for doing so began on June 1. World-class and seasoned T20 players from all around the world are expected to participate in season three.

Twenty-six of the 69 players are or were members of different ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 squads.

Prominent T20 players like Andre Russell, David Willey, Sunil Narine (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Alex Hales, Azam Khan, Muhammad Amir, Sherfane Rutherford, Wanindu Hasaranga (Desert Vipers), Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Rovman Powell, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza (Dubai Capitals), Chris Jordan, James Vince, Shimron Hetmyer (Gulf Giants), Akeal Hosein, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran (MI Emirates), Johnson Charles, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Sharjah Warriors).

There are two UAE players that each of the six teams has kept.

With the exception of Aayan Afzal Khan and Mohammad Zohaib Zubair (Gulf Giants), Muhammad Rohid Khan and Muhammad Waseem (MI Emirates), Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Jawadullah (Sharjah Warriors), Haider Ali and Raja Akif (Dubai Capitals), and Ali Naseer and Tanish Suri (Desert Vipers) are among the UAE players who have been retained for Season 3.

Now that the player retention window has ended, teams can begin signing new players during the ongoing Player Acquisition Window, which runs through September 15th.

After the ILT20 Development Tournament, which takes place in October, each franchise can sign a minimum of two more UAE players to fulfil their quota of four UAE signings.

For ILT20 Season 3 kept players.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Aditya Shetty, Ali Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Andries Ghous, Charith Asalanka, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Laurie Evans, Micheal Pepper and Sunil Narine.

Desert Vipers: Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Luke Wood, Micheal Jones, Muhammad Amir, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Tanish Suri and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Dubai Capitals: Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Dushmantha Chameera, Haider Ali, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza, Zahir Khan, Jake Fraser McGurk and Oliver Stone.

Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Chris Jordan, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gerhard Erasmus, Jamie Overton, James Vince, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Mohammad Zohaib Zubair, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson and Shimron Hetmyer.

MI Emirates: Akeal Hosein, Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Nosthush Kenjige, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil.

Sharjah Warriors: Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Muhamad Jawadullah, Kusal Mendis, Luke Wells, Peter Hatzoglou and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.