ILT20’s second season in the United Arab Emirates will debut on January 19. The schedule, which was made public on Wednesday (August 23), repeats the first season’s overlap with SA20. The rivalry between the two programs has, however, been attempted to a minimum. The SA20 event will take place from January 10 to February 10.
The six-team league, which is the biggest in the UAE and had over 367 million viewers in its inaugural season, will come to an end on February 18. The entire itinerary will be revealed at a later time, according to the organizers. Six teams will compete for the second year in a row: Sharjah Warriors, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Dubai Capitals, and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. The competition will include 34 matches, comprising 30 group games, 4 playoff games, and the championship match.
The league unveiled a star-studded lineup earlier this week that included players who have signed up for various teams, including David Willey, Josh Little, Alex Hales, David Warner, Mark Wood, Akeal Hosein, and Corey Anderson.
Ambati Rayudu, who was acquired by MI Emirates, will represent India alone in the league. The Dubai Capitals have released Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa, who had participated in the inaugural season.
Saurabh Netravalkar, who currently represents the US and played for U-19 India, is another Indian. Netravalkar, an engineering graduate of Mumbai University, represented Mumbai in local cricket. The Gulf Giants have enlisted his services. A few Pakistani athletes, notably Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were signed by the Desert Vipers team, are also included in the starting lineup. With a player pool of $ 2.5 million, each side may have up to 25 players.
The Adani Group-owned Gulf Giants are the reigning champions. The Giants, led by James Vince, won the inaugural season’s championship by defeating the Desert Vipers, owned by Avram Glazer, by seven wickets.
