ILT20 2026: Season 5 Schedule, Teams, Dates & Everything About the International League T20
The UAE's International League T20 is coming earlier than ever before. Season 5 has been scheduled for 22 November-20 December 2026, shifting the competition from its traditional January slot, and coming just after the Abu Dhabi T10 and before the SA20/BBL burst into the UAE winter. For fans, that means top-level T20 action in the Emirates for all but the shortest of winters. For the Desert Vipers, it means there's no time to bask in their glory.
Four seasons of the ILT20 have produced four different winners. Someone is bound to win it twice eventually - and the Vipers get their first chance to do so.
ILT20 2026: All You Need to Know
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | 22 November - 20 December 2026 (confirmed) |
| Season | 5th edition (DP World ILT20) |
| Teams | 6 |
| Venues | Dubai International Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
| Defending champions | Desert Vipers (maiden title) |
| Format | T20, round-robin + playoffs |
| Last season | 2 December 2025 - 4 January 2026 |
What Happened Last Season
Season 4 saw the Desert Vipers finally win the title after twice finishing runners-up, beating MI Emirates in the final in January 2026. The ILT20 has so far seen four different winners in its four seasons - Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Dubai Capitals and the Vipers - making it the only top-tier T20 league yet to see a repeat champion, with a healthy competitive balance between the six franchises.
ILT20 Teams: All Six Franchises
Ownership will be familiar to those who follow the other leagues on this site, with the IPL's big teams all having a UAE franchise.
| Team | Owners | The Short Version |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Vipers | Lancer Capital (Avram Glazer) | Champions at last; the league's most consistent team |
| MI Emirates | Reliance (Mumbai Indians) | 2024 champions, beaten finalists last season |
| Dubai Capitals | GMR Group (Delhi Capitals) | 2025 champions |
| Gulf Giants | Adani Sportsline | Inaugural champions (2023) |
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Knight Riders Group (KKR) | Star names, still searching for a first title |
| Sharjah Warriorz | Capri Global | The Sharjah crowd's team, perennial dark horses |
Squads for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons were all announced in the months preceding their opening fixtures, with the big overseas stars typically unveiled during the player registration and draft/signing windows. Expect the same to happen ahead of Season 5, as the ILT20's lucrative salary structure continues to attract white-ball stars from England, Australia, the West Indies and beyond. This section will be updated as the squad lists are officially confirmed.
ILT20 2026 Schedule
The full list of fixtures is yet to be officially released, but it is expected to follow the same pattern as the previous seasons - with all six teams playing each other at the three UAE international stadiums, before a playoff final on 20 December 2026. Evening matches in the UAE are shown live in India on the Zee network's digital platforms, with the timing working out particularly well for Indian viewers given the proximity of the UAE to India - the matches start at 19:00 local time, which is 20:30 IST. This means the whole match finishes well before midnight IST, comfortably within prime time.
How to Watch ILT20 2026
In India, the ILT20 has been telecast and streamed on the Zee network's platforms in recent seasons; if you're used to catching the other leagues on other apps, make sure to check Zee for the ILT20. Elsewhere, coverage runs through regional sports networks. As with all the other leagues, make sure to check the official ILT20 website for the most up-to-date information on the availability of the ILT20 in your region.
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