The Cricketer runs through all the details you need to know ahead of the inaugural edition of the International League T20, which kicks off in mid-January
A 20-over franchise competition – called the International League T20, or ILT20 – held in the United Arab Emirates.
The inaugural edition of the ILT20 will be held between January 13 and February 12.
The ILT20 is held in the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah all hosting matches.
Six teams have been created for the ILT20: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, and Sharjah Warriors.
Many of the teams have links to IPL franchises, notably Abu Dhabi, MI Emirates, and Dubai Capitals.
Joe Root will represent Dubai Capitals (Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
The six teams will compete in a double round-robin format between January 13 and February 6, with two points available for a win and one point for a tie.
The top four teams will then move into the playoffs (February 8 - February 12), with the first and second-placed teams competing for direct entry to the final. The loser of that clash will face the winner of the eliminator (third versus fourth) for a spot in the trophy showdown.
In total, 34 matches will be played.
There are very few restrictions on playing XIs for ILT20 – teams are required to select at least one player from the UAE and one player from an associate nation – meaning there are a whole host of overseas names taking part.
Joe Root is perhaps the most surprising. The England captain has agreed to represent Dubai Capitals for a number of matches despite only dabbling in the T20 Blast and The Hundred in recent years – his most recent T20I appearance came back in 2019 while his overseas franchise experience is limited to seven outings for Sydney Thunder. Due to the ILT20 not being afforded T20 status, however, his appearances will have no impact on his career stats.
Dan Lawrence and Ravi Bopara will be among the familiar faces for Root at the Capitals, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rovman Powell and Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza are among the other star attractions.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are full of batting talent, with Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Paul Stirling and Colin Ingram among their overseas contingent while there is a distinctly English feel at Gulf Giants, with Chris Jordan, Tom Banton, Jamie Overton, Richard Gleeson, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, James Vince and Ollie Pope all included in the squad.
Andre Russell is off to Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Steve Bell/Getty Images)
Desert Vipers have also recruited heavily from England, with the likes of Alex Hales, Tom Curran and Sam Billings among those selected, while Namibia's Ruben Trumpelmann and Scottish spinner Mark Watt are the associate players to watch.
MI Emirates, supported by five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians, have an experienced overseas core, with Trent Boult, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Imran Tahir and Kieron Pollard supported by a number of young English players (Will Smeed, Jordan Thompson, Tom Lammonby and Dan Mousley), England internationals Craig Overton and Samit Patel, and rising Irish star, Lorcan Tucker.
Dawid Malan, Evin Lewis, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nabi and Chris Woakes, meanwhile, are among the marquee names lining up for Sharjah Warriors.
Chris Lynn (Gulf Giants) and Marcus Stoinis (Sharjah Warriors) are the only Australian players currently signed up for the tournament, with teams instead drawing heavily from England, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The reluctance of boards to grant NOCs (no objection certificates) has impacted the involvement of players from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
ZEE have obtained the broadcast rights for the ILT20 on a long-term deal.
All 34 matches will be aired across the company's 10 linear channels, with coverage provided in more than 10 languages, including English, Hindi and Tamil, as well as on ZEE5.
In the UK, Zee TV can be accessed via channel 709 on Sky and channel 809 on Virgin Media. Every match will also be available via BT Sport (TV/online/app) following a deal betwee the broadcaster and Zee.
Elsewhere in the world, the full tournament will be available via Zee Cinema (SD/HD), Zee Anmol Cinema, ZEE Thirai, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Zest (SD/HD), &Pictures, &Flix, and ZEE5.
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