ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction Set for Dubai on October 1

 

Dubai is set to host another major cricketing moment as the DP World ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction will be held on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The auction will give all six franchises their final opportunity to strengthen their teams before the new season begins later this year.

 

The upcoming edition of ILT20 will feature six teams: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriorz. Franchises have already made several important pre-auction signings, but the auction will play a key role in completing their final combinations.

 

Each team will aim to build a balanced squad with a mix of international stars, emerging Associate-nation talent and local Gulf players. Squads are required to have between 18 and 23 players. They must also include players from the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, making the league an important platform for cricket talent from the region.

 

Ahead of the auction, well-known T20 names such as David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Finn Allen and Marcus Stoinis have already joined different franchises. Several established ILT20 performers, including Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder and Sikandar Raza, are also set to return for another season.

 

The auction purse will add extra excitement to the event. Franchises will work with a $1.3 million auction budget, along with any unused amount from their direct-signing and retention allocation. Every team must finish with an overall squad spend between $1.5 million and $2 million.

 

The bidding process will begin from player base prices, with different price levels based on experience and eligibility. Teams will also have Right-to-Match options for eligible players from their previous squads, adding another strategic element to the auction.

 

After the main player sets are completed, teams with open squad positions can nominate players for an accelerated round. Franchises will also be allowed to bring in replacements during the league phase if a player becomes unavailable due to injury, international duty or clearance issues.

 

ILT20 Season 5 is scheduled to run from November 21 to December 20, 2026, across the UAE. With player combinations taking shape and franchises preparing their final plans, the October 1 auction in Dubai will be one of the biggest build-up events ahead of the tournament.