ILT20 2026 Prediction Hub: Season 5 Dates, Teams and Auction
The International League T20 in the UAE: schedule news, squads and our match predictions
Last updated: 26 September 2026
DP World ILT20 Season 5 is scheduled to start on Sunday 22 November 2026 and ends with the final at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday 20 December. Six teams play 34 matches. This page lists our ILT20 match predictions and toss calls as we publish them, plus the auction, the squads and last season’s results.
One caution on the start date. The league’s April announcement and its match data feed both say Sunday 22 November, but its auction notice of 22 September says Saturday 21 November. The full ILT20 schedule, match by match, has not been published yet.
Our ILT20 Match Predictions
No ILT20 Season 5 predictions are published yet. Each ILT20 prediction is listed here as soon as it goes live and stays until the match starts.
Our model gives both teams a win probability for every ILT20 match we preview. Each ILT20 prediction then explains the pick: current form, the key match-ups, the head-to-head record, the ground, conditions and toss, and how our numbers compare with the bookmaker odds. You can turn any price into a percentage with our implied probability calculator.
When we can make a toss call, it gets its own toss prediction page. All previews are free to read. Our prediction record lists results by competition, with ILT20 included, so you can see how our ILT20 prediction calls have done.
ILT20 2026 Schedule: What Is Confirmed
The league has announced the window for Season 5, not the fixtures. The season is scheduled for 22 November to 20 December 2026, and the final is at Dubai International Stadium. That continues the move away from January and February: the first three seasons were played in that window, and Season 4 ran from 2 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
Season 5 has 34 matches, the same as Season 4. Each team plays the other five twice, which makes 30 league games, and then four playoff matches decide the title. In Season 4 the playoffs worked like this:
- Qualifier 1: first against second, and the winner goes straight to the final.
- Eliminator: third against fourth, and the loser goes out.
- Qualifier 2: the loser of Qualifier 1 against the winner of the Eliminator.
- Final: the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.
The league plays at three grounds: Dubai International Stadium, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. In Season 4, 30 matches started at 8pm IST, and four afternoon matches on double-header days started at 3:30pm IST. Start times for Season 5 have not been announced.
ILT20 Auction 2026: Date, Purse and Squad Rules
The DP World ILT20 Season 5 player auction takes place on Thursday 1 October 2026 at the ICC Academy indoor facility in Dubai. It is where the six teams complete their squads.
- Purse: each team has USD 1.3 million to spend at the auction, plus whatever it did not use of the USD 700,000 set aside for direct signings and retentions.
- Spend: by the end of the auction each team must have spent at least USD 1.5 million and no more than USD 2 million.
- Squad size: 18 to 23 players, and one further Wildcard player may be added after the auction.
- Quotas: at least 11 players from ICC Full Member countries (four or more from Afghanistan and at least one from Ireland), at least four from the UAE, at least one each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and at least one more from another Associate country.
- Right to Match: each team has four, tied to players who played for it in Season 4: one Full Member, one Associate, one UAE and one Kuwait or Saudi player (the UAE pick can also come from its Development Tournament squad).
- Base prices: USD 10,000, 40,000 or 80,000.
ILT20 Teams and Pre-Auction Signings
Each of the six ILT20 teams was allowed four pre-auction signings, announced on 11 August 2026. The rest of each squad comes from the auction.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Owned by the Knight Riders Group
Signed: Finn Allen, Jason Holder, Matthew Tromp, Sunil Narine.
Desert Vipers
Season 4 champions
Signed: Andries Gous, Dan Lawrence, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Shimron Hetmyer.
Dubai Capitals
Season 3 champions
Signed: Marcus Stoinis, Mustafizur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rovman Powell.
Gulf Giants
Season 1 champions
Signed: Azmatullah Omarzai, Blessing Muzarabani, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen.
MI Emirates
Season 2 champions
Signed: Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Romario Shepherd, Sherfane Rutherford.
Sharjah Warriorz
Owned by Capri Global
Signed: Adam Milne, James Vince, Sikandar Raza, Waqar Salamkheil.
Miller, Klaasen and Allen will be playing in the league for the first time. Stoinis returns after three years away. Waqar Salamkheil, joint leading wicket-taker last season for Dubai Capitals, has moved to Sharjah Warriorz.
ILT20 2025-26 Recap: Desert Vipers’ First Title
Desert Vipers won Season 4, beating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final at Dubai International Stadium on 4 January 2026. Sam Curran made 74 not out from 51 balls in a total of 182 for 4, and MI Emirates were bowled out for 136. Curran was player of the match and Player of the Tournament.
Curran also scored the most runs of the season, 397. Waqar Salamkheil of Dubai Capitals and Ajay Kumar of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders shared the most wickets with 18 each. Muhammad Waseem of MI Emirates won the award for the best UAE player.
ILT20 2025-26 League Stage Standings
The top four reached the playoffs. Desert Vipers finished first with eight wins, one of them in a Super Over.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert Vipers | 10 | 8 | 2 | 16 | +0.438 |
| 2 | MI Emirates | 10 | 7 | 3 | 14 | +0.676 |
| 3 | Dubai Capitals | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | +0.578 |
| 4 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 10 | 4 | 6 | 8 | -0.559 |
| 5 | Gulf Giants | 10 | 3 | 7 | 6 | -0.310 |
| 6 | Sharjah Warriorz | 10 | 3 | 7 | 6 | -0.815 |
ILT20 2025-26 Playoffs and Final Positions
| Pos | Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert Vipers | Champions (beat MI Emirates by 45 runs in Qualifier 1 and by 46 runs in the final) |
| 2 | MI Emirates | Runners-up (beat ADKR by 7 wickets in Qualifier 2) |
| 3 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Lost Qualifier 2 to MI Emirates |
| 4 | Dubai Capitals | Lost the Eliminator to ADKR by 50 runs |
| 5 | Gulf Giants | Did not qualify for playoffs |
| 6 | Sharjah Warriorz | Did not qualify for playoffs |
What Season 4 Showed About the Toss
Captains who won the toss chose to field first in 31 of the 34 matches. Chasing sides won 18 games, sides batting first won 15, and one was tied before Desert Vipers won the Super Over. The toss winner won 17 of the 33 matches with a result, so winning the toss was close to a coin flip for the result, even though almost every captain chose to chase.
ILT20 Winners List
A different team has won each of the four seasons so far:
- Season 1 (2023): Gulf Giants.
- Season 2 (2024): MI Emirates.
- Season 3 (2025): Dubai Capitals, who beat Desert Vipers by four wickets in the final.
- Season 4 (2025-26): Desert Vipers, who beat MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final.
Best ILT20 Betting Sites
Competitive odds on ILT20 match markets. These bookmakers accept Indian bettors with UPI/Paytm deposits.
Our cricket betting guide explains how cricket odds work.
ILT20 2026 FAQ
When does ILT20 2026 (Season 5) start?
DP World ILT20 Season 5 is scheduled to start on Sunday 22 November 2026, the date in the league's April announcement and in its match data feed. The final is at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday 20 December 2026. The league's auction notice of 22 September gives Saturday 21 November as the start instead, and the match-by-match fixture list has not been published yet.
Which teams play in ILT20 Season 5?
The same six teams as in Season 4: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriorz. Desert Vipers are the defending champions. The six teams play 34 matches: 30 in the league stage and four in the playoffs.
When is the ILT20 2026 auction?
The Season 5 player auction is on Thursday 1 October 2026 at the ICC Academy indoor facility in Dubai. Each team has USD 1.3 million to spend, plus whatever it did not use of the USD 700,000 set aside for direct signings and retentions, and must finish with 18 to 23 players. The four pre-auction signings per team were announced on 11 August.
Who won ILT20 2025-26 (Season 4)?
Desert Vipers won their first title, beating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final at Dubai International Stadium on 4 January 2026. Sam Curran made 74 not out from 51 balls and was player of the match. He was also named Player of the Tournament.
Where can I watch ILT20 in India?
The league's website names ZEE as its multi-year broadcast partner, showing all league matches on ZEE's TV channels and on its streaming platform, ZEE5. The channels for Season 5 have not been announced yet.
How do your ILT20 predictions work?
Our model gives each team a win probability, and each match preview explains the pick: the form of both sides, the key match-ups, the head-to-head record, the ground, conditions and toss, and how our numbers compare with the bookmaker odds. When we make a toss call, it gets its own toss prediction page. Previews are free to read, and our prediction record shows how our ILT20 picks have done.
Where can I find today's ILT20 match prediction?
In the list near the top of this page. It shows every ILT20 prediction we have published for a match that has not started yet, with a link to the toss call when there is one.
More T20 League Predictions
Our other league hubs:
SA20 Tips
South Africa T20 predictions
BBL Tips
Big Bash League predictions
PSL Tips
Pakistan Super League tips
IPL Tips
Indian Premier League tips
ILT20 Season 5 is scheduled for 22 November to 20 December 2026. Our ILT20 match predictions and toss calls will be listed near the top of this page as we publish them.
Odds were accurate during ILT20 2025-26 season. Betting involves risk. Please gamble responsibly.