History was made at the first-ever ILT20 Player Auction, as West Indies batter Andre Fletcher commanded the biggest payday of the day — a whopping USD 260,000 — to remain with MI Emirates for a fourth successive season. The bidding frenzy marked a new era for the league, with franchises competing fiercely to secure both global stars and emerging UAE talents.Known as the “Spiceman” for his flamboyant style, Fletcher’s price tag of USD 260,000 set the tone for the auction. The hard-hitting opener was closely followed by England’s Scott Currie, snapped up by Dubai Capitals for USD 250,000, and Liam Dawson, who went to Gulf Giants for USD 170,000.There was plenty of cheer for local cricket too. UAE pacers dominated the headlines: Junaid Siddique went to Sharjah Warriorz for USD 170,000 (RTM), while Muhammad Rohid fetched USD 140,000 (RTM) with MI Emirates. Both figures represented a watershed moment for UAE’s rising fast-bowling stocks.MI EmiratesAlready bolstered by an experienced core, MI Emirates doubled down on firepower. Alongside Fletcher, they picked up Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000), Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq (USD 100,000), and England’s Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000). Local strength was added via Muhammad Rohid and Zahoor Khan, while their Associate Nation quota included USA’s Nosthush Kenjige, Kuwait’s Mohamed Shafeeq, and Saudi Arabia’s Zain Ul Abidin.Auction Signings: Muhammad Rohid (USD 140,000), Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000), Naveen-ul-Haq (USD 100,000), Andre Fletcher (USD 260,000), Nosthush Kenjige (USD 10,000), Mohamed Shafeeq (USD 10,000), Zain Ul Abidin (USD 10,000), Usman Khan (USD 10,000), Ackeem Auguste (USD 10,000), Arab Gul (USD 10,000), Tajinder Dhillon (USD 10,000), Zahoor Khan (USD 10,000), Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000)Dubai CapitalsDubai Capitals stole headlines with their huge outlay for Scott Currie at USD 250,000. To complement the youngster, they turned to experience with Mohammad Nabi and Tymal Mills (USD 80,000 each). Their UAE core featured Farhan Khan and Muhammad Farooq, while they rounded out their Associate quota with Anudeep Chenthamara (Kuwait, USD 10,000) and Usman Najeeb (Saudi Arabia, USD 10,000).Auction Signings: Muhammad Farooq (USD 10,000), Tymal Mills (USD 80,000), Scott Currie (USD 250,000), Mohammad Nabi (USD 80,000), Farhan Khan (USD 10,000), Anudeep Chenthamara (USD 10,000), Usman Najeeb (USD 10,000), Ritesh Mallikarjuna Grandhi (USD 10,000), Shayan Jahangir (USD 10,000), Rushil Ugarkar (USD 10,000), Naveen Bidiasee (USD 10,000), Toby Albert (USD 10,000), Akshay Wakhare (USD 10,000) Gulf GiantsThe Gulf Giants were the first team to complete their squad, spreading their net wide. Their marquee buy was Liam Dawson (USD 170,000), supported by smart acquisitions such as Tabraiz Shamsi, Fred Klaassen, Chris Wood, and Ramon Simmonds (all USD 40,000 each). UAE’s Haider Razzaq (USD 50,000), leading wicket-taker in the ILT20 Development Tournament, was rewarded with a senior deal, while Asif Khan (USD 26,000) strengthened their batting.Auction Signings: Asif Khan (USD 26,000), Zuhaib Zubair (USD 10,000), Sean Dickson (USD 10,000), Tabraiz Shamsi (USD 40,000), Liam Dawson (USD 170,000), Fred Klaassen (USD 40,000), Haider Razzaq (USD 50,000), Meet Bhavsar (USD 14,000), Ishtiaq Ahmad (USD 16,000), Lorcan Tucker (USD 10,000), Chris Wood (USD 40,000), Tom Moores (USD 40,000), Ramon Simmonds (USD 40,000) Sharjah WarriorzSharjah Warriorz invested heavily in seam, roping in Junaid Siddique (USD 170,000) as their most expensive signing. South Africa’s Dwaine Pretorius (USD 120,000) and England’s Nathan Sowter (USD 100,000) bolstered the all-round and spin departments. International pacers Jayden Seales and Taskin Ahmed joined at USD 80,000 each, while UAE’s Wasim Akram was snapped up for USD 55,000.Auction Signings: Junaid Siddique (USD 170,000), James Rew (USD 10,000), Nathan Sowter (USD 100,000), Dwaine Pretorius (USD 120,000), Jayden Seales (USD 80,000), Harmeet Singh (USD 10,000), Wasim Akram (USD 55,000), Mohamed Nawfer Mohamed Aslam (USD 14,000), Raees Ahmad (USD 10,000), Richard Ngarava (USD 10,000), Shubham Ranjane (USD 10,000), Ethan D’Souza (USD 10,000), Taskin Ahmed (USD 80,000), Abdul Salman Khan (USD 10,000) Desert VipersDesert Vipers strengthened with Pakistani stars Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah (USD 80,000 apiece), and leg-spinner Qais Ahmad (USD 40,000). They also picked up Scotland’s Tom Bruce (USD 80,000). In a historic moment, Faisal Khan became the first Saudi Arabian cricketer ever bought at the auction, joining for USD 10,000. UAE wicketkeeper Vriitya Aravind and all-rounder Sanjay Pahal rounded out their roster.Auction Signings: Junaid Siddique (USD 170,000), James Rew (USD 10,000), Nathan Sowter (USD 100,000), Dwaine Pretorius (USD 120,000), Jayden Seales (USD 80,000), Harmeet Singh (USD 10,000), Wasim Akram (USD 55,000), Mohamed Nawfer Mohamed Aslam (USD 14,000), Raees Ahmad (USD 10,000), Richard Ngarava (USD 10,000), Shubham Ranjane (USD 10,000), Ethan D’Souza (USD 10,000), Taskin Ahmed (USD 80,000), Abdul Salman Khan (USD 10,000) Abu Dhabi KnightAbu Dhabi Knight Riders pursued balance, targeting Scotland’s Brandon McMullen (USD 110,000) as their key signing. England’s Michael Pepper and India’s Unmukt Chand joined for USD 40,000 each, alongside George Garton (USD 10,000). Their Associate Nation pick was Adnan Idrees (Kuwait, USD 10,000), while their UAE pool included Ibrar Ahmed (USD 22,000 RTM).Auction Signings: Michael Pepper (USD 40,000), George Garton (USD 10,000), Brandon McMullen (USD 110,000), Ibrar Ahmed (USD 22,000), Ajay Kumar (USD 10,000), Adnan Idrees Muhammad (USD 10,000), Abdul Manan Ali (USD 10,000), Mayank Chowdary (USD 10,000), Khary Pierre (USD 10,000), Shadley Van Schalkwyk (USD 10,000), Unmukt Chand (USD 40,000) The auction rules mandated a strong presence of UAE and Associate Nation players — a minimum of four UAE players, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia, and two from other Associates. This opened doors for names like Haider Razzaq (UAE, USD 50,000), Adnan Idrees (Kuwait, USD 10,000), Meet Bhavsar (Kuwait, USD 14,000), and Faisal Khan (Saudi Arabia, USD 10,000).Notably, standout performers from the ILT20 Development Tournament were rewarded. Haider Razzaq’s form secured him a Gulf Giants deal, while Sanjay Pahal was retained by Desert Vipers.The six-team, 34-match tournament kicks off on 2 December 2025 (UAE National Day) and runs until 4 January 2026. With mega-money signings, Associate Nations making history, and UAE pacers stepping into the spotlight, Season 4 of the ILT20 promises to be the most competitive yet.
