Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Cricket fans in the UAE will be treated to a double delight of the country's flagship tournament – the DP World International League T20 (ILT20) season – this year after the dates for the fourth season were announced.
In a busy period towards the turn of the calendar year in the cricket world, the private promoters of the ILT20 have decided to start the month-long fourth edition from December 2, the occasion of Eid Al Etihad, ahead of the usual slot.
The decision to prepone had an added sense of urgency because the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in February-March next year, and before that, the premier domestic T20 leagues of South Africa and Australia are held in overlap with the ILT20 as usual.
Having held the first three seasons across the January-February window, this means that the year 2025 will go down in the tournament's short history as the one with two tournaments and Dubai Capitals will return again in the same year to defend their title. The fourth season, comprising 34 matches and six teams as usual, will conclude with the final on January 4.
Khalid Al Zarooni, the league chairman of ILT20 and Vice Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, said through a statement: "We are delighted to confirm that the DP World International League T20 Season 4 will commence on Eid Al Etihad, which is one of the most important days on the UAE calendar."
It is the occasion, he said, when "we celebrate the UAE, which is home to people from around the world, including millions of diehard cricket fans. It is a real honour for us to join the nation in the celebrations with the launch of the region's biggest T20 league on the same day."
David White, the Chief Executive Officer of the league, added, "Following extensive discussions with all our stakeholders, we believe the tournament window is ideal... as it will allow the players playing both in the DP World ILT20 and the T20 World Cup to prepare for national duty. In addition, we feel that the December-January window will provide the teams' the best opportunity to access a bigger pool of players."
“Season 3 was a big success with outstanding broadcast and digital numbers as the fans enjoyed a step-up in the quality of cricket. We are now fully focused on making an even bigger impact for the next season,” White added.
The ILT20 is the short format's second-richest tournament after the Indian Premier League and attracts the best of talent from across the world. Some of the famous names include Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmeyer of West Indies; Alex Hales, James Vince, Jason Roy, Adil Rashid and Tom Banton of England; Australia's David Warner, Adam Zampa and Mathew Wade; other leading star names such as Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Fakhar Zaman and Mohammed Amir (Pakistan); and Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand).
