Squads Announced for 2026 ILT20 Development Tournament

The squads for the upcoming 2026 ILT20 Development Tournament have been officially announced, featuring a mix of experienced players and emerging talents from the UAE. The tournament, commencing on September 14, aims to provide valuable exposure to promising cricketers. Each team is built around key players who have previously made their mark in the league. With the Player Auction for Season 5 on the horizon, this tournament serves as a crucial platform for players to showcase their skills. Read on to discover the complete team rosters and more details about the tournament format.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 3, 2026, 20:40 IST

Overview of the Tournament

The squads for the fourth edition of the International League T20 Development Tournament have been finalized following the Player Draft on September 2. Six teams will represent the franchises of the ILT20, with the tournament set to kick off on September 14. This event aims to showcase some of the UAE's most talented cricketers, providing them with essential exposure and experience, as stated in a recent press release. Many players selected have previously participated in the DP World ILT20, while others will seize the chance to shine ahead of the ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction, scheduled for October 1, 2026, in Dubai.

Team Breakdown

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Development

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Development squad is anchored by Alishan Sharafu, with wicketkeeper-batter Mayank Choudhary and pace bowler Ibrar Ahmad, both of whom contributed in ILT20 Season 4, enhancing the team's strength.

Desert Vipers Development

Desert Vipers Development includes Sanjay Pahal, last year's Player of the Tournament, who scored 157 runs and took 12 wickets. The squad also features UAE internationals Khuzaima Tanveer and Matiullah Khan, along with experienced wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind.

Dubai Capitals Development

Dubai Capitals Development boasts a strong bowling lineup with Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah, both of whom played in ILT20 Season 4. Akshdeep Nath, who made his UAE debut this year, and Raees Ahmed, who was the third-highest run-scorer in the previous edition, also join the squad.

Gulf Giants Development

Gulf Giants Development retains Haider Razzaq, the leading wicket-taker from last year with 16 wickets in seven matches. Aayan Afzal Khan, who has been with the franchise since its inception, adds further depth, alongside top run-scorers Sagar Kalyan and Tanish Suri.

MI Emirates Development

MI Emirates Development is led by the experienced Muhammad Waseem, who has made 46 appearances and is the third-highest run-scorer in ILT20 history. The squad includes several notable players from the DP World ILT20.

Sharjah Warriorz Development

Sharjah Warriorz Development features UAE international Junaid Siddique, the national team's highest wicket-taker in T20Is. He is joined by established players like Ethan D'Souza and Dhruv Parashar, along with UAE ODI captain Harpreet Singh Bhatia, adding significant experience to the team.

The ILT20 Development Tournament will commence on September 14, with the six teams competing in a round-robin format. Sharjah Warriorz Development will enter the tournament as the defending champions, having triumphed over Desert Vipers Development in the previous final.

Complete Squads for the 2026 ILT20 Development Tournament

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Development

Masood Ul Rahman Gurbaz, Aftab Alam, Falaknoor Noor, Uzair Khan, Awais Ali Shah, Nawodya Wijayakumara, Zia Mukhtar, Usaid Amin, Junaid Khan Afridi, Asel Sigera, Zahid Ali, Ammar Badami, Salman Saleem, Uzair Haider, Ibrar Ahmad, Mayank Choudhary, Alishan Sharafu

Desert Vipers Development

Ayaan Misbah, Nilansh Keswani, Israr Ahmad, Hilal Afghan, Wasim Akram, Harshit Kaushik, Wali Muhammad, Abdul Ghaffar, Taimoor Ali, Punya Bhatia, Zeeshan Abid, Angad Nehru, Harsh Desai, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Matiullah Khan, Sanjay Pahal, Vriitya Aravind

Dubai Capitals Development

Akshdeep Nath, Tahir Zaman, Khalid Shah, Zeeshan Naseer, Muhammad Arfan, Saghir Khan, Yayin Rai, Ahmed Tariq, Raees Ahmed, Mohomad Halan, Rahul Chopra, Asif Mohammad Taniwal, Abdul Rahman Nasir, Farhan Khan, Haider Ali, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah

Gulf Giants Development

Sohaib Khan, Adeeb Usmani, Awais Ahmed, Sagar Kalyan, Junaid Shamsudheen, Ansh Tandon, Keshav Sharma, Nabeel Aziz, Muhammad Irshad, Samal Udawaththa, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Vaibhav Govekar, Tanish Suri, Albin Alias, Aayan Khan, Haider Razzaq, Zuhaib Zubair

MI Emirates Development

Kona Srikar Bharat, Ali Naseer, Ibrahim Masood, Vishnu Sukumaran, Adithya Shetty, Aryan Lakra, Nasir Faraz, Said Nazeer, Wahab Hassan, Muhammad Sameer, Zenul Abideen, Raizal Nadir, Naseem Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Rohid, Usman Khan, Zahoor Khan

Sharjah Warriorz Development

Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Dilan Suraweera, Daniyal Liaquat, Dhruv Parashar, Luqman Faisal, Mohit Kalyan, Uddish Suri, Basil Hameed, Omid Rahman, Hafiz Almas Ayub, Shahid Iqbal, Aftab Javed, Rayan Khan, Ronak Panoly, Anas Malik, Junaid Siddique, Ethan D Souza.