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ILT20 2025: The Newest and Most Exciting Cricket League in the World
Prepare for an exciting journey of innovation and inspiration as the UAE T20 league returns in 2025. It is not only a conference, it’s an immersive experience that pushes the boundaries of possibility and pushes us into the future.
As the world rapidly moves forward, this event stands as a beacon of progress, a place where individuals and industries collide, igniting a spark that fuels transformative change. Join us for an unforgettable celebration of knowledge, collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of advancement at ILT20 2025.
Keep reading this post to get all information related to ILT20 2025.
History Of International League T20
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) hosts the DP World ILT20 League. Its official name was announced in June 2022. All schedules also set the franchise and controlled all the responsibilities of the six teams of the franchise owner and DP World, which will be played in 2025 in UAE.
According to the ECB, the matches are played in major stadiums in the UAE, like Dubai International Stadium, Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium, and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
There are six teams included in the T20 international league, and the names of the teams are as follows:
- Knight Rider
- Desert Vipers
- Dubai Capital
- Gulf Giants
- MI Emirates
- Sharjah
1st Edition Champion Team
Shah Rukh Khan represented the Knight Riders Group, and Juhi Chawla and his business partner Jay Mehta led the franchise. However, the Gulf Gaits won the international T20 league in 2023 and became champion against the Desert Vipers by seven wickets.
A Glance At The Exciting Journey
| Host | Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) |
| 1st Edition | January 2023 |
| 2nd Edition | January 2024 |
| 3rd edition | January 2025 |
| Format | T20 |
| Teams | 6 |
| Matches | 34 |
| Venues | 3 |
| 1st Edition Champion | Gulf Giants |
International League T20 2025 Schedule
The International League T20 schedule announced and it will be played in the United Arab Emirates from January 11 to February 03, 2025. This tournament will feature 34 matches, with each team playing two matches against the other five.
The six franchises competing in the UAE T20 league are the Desert Vipers, Knight Riders, Sharjah Warriors, Dubai Capitals, MI Emirates, and Gulf Giants. The final match of the ILT20 2025 will be held in February.
International League T20 2025 Teams
In the 1st Edition of the league in 2023, there were six teams, and the same teams will be in action in the 3rd Edition in 2025. All six teams have a good combination of players. All the teams will try to give their 100% potential to win this tournament. There are the following names for the six teams:
ILT20 2025 Opening Ceremony
ILT T20 league’s opening ceremony will be held before the 1st match of the 3rd Edition. According to the announcement, the opening ceremony and the 1st match will be held on January 11, 2025. However, the exact information will be updated after the official announcement by the ECB.
| Start Date | 11-01-2025 |
| End Date | 03-02-2025 |
| Host Country | United Arab Emirates |
Venues for the International League T20 2025
1st Edition of this league was played in the United Arab Emirates in the 1st month of 2023, and the 3rd Edition will be played in the 1st month of 2025 in the UAE venues. The Emirates Cricket Board hosts this league so that UAE cricket stadiums will host all matches.
Three venues will host the 3rd Edition of the UAE T20 League 2025.
| Venue | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Dubai International Stadium | 25000 |
| Abu Dhabi | Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium | 20000 |
| Sharjah | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 16000 |
IL T20 Team Owners
There are six teams in this league. Every team has an owner. Most owners also have IPL teams, like Shahrukh Khan, who owns Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). GMR Group, which is the owner of Delhi Capital (DC). Ambani, who is the owner of Mumbai Indians (MI).
The list of the team’s owners is given below:
| Team | Owner |
|---|---|
| MI Emirates | Ambani(Mumbai Indians Owner) |
| Dessert Vipers | Lancer Capital |
| Dubai Capitals | GMR Group (Delhi Capital Owner) |
| Gulf Giants | Adani Group |
| Sharjah Warriors | Capri Global |
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Shah Rukh Khan (KKR Team Owner) |
IL T20 Team’s Coaches
All the teams have big names as coaches. The right coach can take a team to the next level. If a coach has a strong grip on their coaching skills, they can make their team strong. A good coach will prepare their team mentally.
The list of coaches is given below.
| Team | Coaches |
|---|---|
| MI Emirates | Shane Bond |
| Dessert Vipers | James Foster |
| Dubai Capitals | Phil Simmons |
| Gulf Giants | Andy Flower |
| Sharjah Warriors | Paul Farbrace |
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | TBA |
IL T20 Team’s Captains
The caption is the leader of a team. A team can win the game if the captain is skilled and can lead the team better. Captaincy is all about reading the situation and making decisions. If a captain can read the situation and make quick decisions, ultimately, the team can win the match.
The list of the following captains is given below.
| Team | Captains |
|---|---|
| MI Emirates | Kieron Pollard |
| Dessert Vipers | Colin Munro |
| Dubai Capitals | David Warner |
| Gulf Giants | James Vince |
| Sharjah Warriors | Tom Kohler-Cadmore |
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Sunil Narine |
ILT20 Broadcasting Channels
Zee Entertainment Enterprises will be the exclusive broadcaster of cricket matches for the next ten years. This channel has a contract with the ECB worth $120 Million for ten years.
If you are a cricket lover and want to watch all the matches on your TV, you can follow Zee Entertainment channels. It has channels in different languages that you can see according to your language. The list of some channels in different languages is given below.
| Country | TV Channels |
|---|---|
| India | Zee TV, Zee TV HD, Sony Six, Sony Six HD |
| Bangladesh | Ghazi TV |
| Sri Lanka | Supreme TV, Sony Six, Sony Six HD |
| UK | Sky Sports Cricket |
| USA | Willow TV |
| Pakistan | A Sport, Geo Super |
| Australia | Fox Sport, Tapmad TV, Channel 9 |
| South Africa | Supersport |
| MENA | Tapmad TV |
| Caribbean | Flow Sports |
| New Zealand | Sky Sports NZ |
| Canada | Willow TV |
| Nepal | Sony Six (Sim TV Nepal, Net TV Nepal) |
| Maldives | Sonysix(MediaNet) |
ILT20 2025 Format and Rules
The love for cricket grows daily, and people are eager to watch every match. That’s why a lot of cricket leagues and tournaments are starting. Players can perform in leagues and impress their country’s chief selectors with their performances.
ILT T20 session 3 is played in the T20 format. Like other countries, the UAE Cricket Board started its league to grow local and international players financially.
There are 34 matches scheduled in the tournament. Thirty-one matches will be played in round-robin matches, two semi-finals, and the final will decide the tournament’s champion. One team will play two matches against each other in round-robin matches.
Will Pakistani Players Shine in the 3rd Edition of ILT20 2025?
Pakistani players will shine in the 3rd Edition of the ILT20 draft. In the 1st Edition, they were not allowed to play in the tournament by the ex-chairman of the PCB, Ramiz Raja.
But the current chairman of the PCB announced that all Pakistani players would be available for the 3rd Edition. Najam Sethi says we have a good relationship with Emirates Cricket Board and want to continue our good relationship with them.
FAQs
Final Verdict
If you are a cricket fan, then keep an eye on the ILT20 2025 Season 3. It is sure to be a thrilling tournament. Pakistani players are expected to participate in this UAE league, as PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has stated that the board has no issue with players participating in the tournament.