The International League T20 (ILT20) is set to host its first-ever player auction in October 2025.
For the last three seasons, franchises signed players through a draft. But now the franchises will engage in intense bidding wars ahead of the ILT20 2025-26 season.
All six teams have drawn up their auction plans. And they will sit at the auction table to build champion squads.
So, when and where will the ILT20 2025-26 player auction take place?
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has scheduled the ILT20 2025-26 auction on October 1, 2025. The proceedings will start at 2 PM Gulf Standard Time (3:30 PM IST). Dubai’s Four Seasons Hotel will host the landmark event.
Alright, how many players have put their names in the auction?
Close to 800 players have registered for the ILT20 2025-26 auction before the deadline ended on September 10, 2025. But the final list will be shorter than this number.
Have teams retained any players?
Yes. The franchises, in fact, could retain and pre-sign eight players before the auction. And teams have used up all their retention and pre-sign slots.
Desert Vipers made the most retentions, with seven players, while Sharjah Warriorz pre-signed four new players. MI Emirates retained six and pre-signed two players. And the other teams stuck to a combination of five retentions and three pre-signings.
Here are each ILT20 team’s retentions and pre-signed picks:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Retentions: Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine.
Pre-signed: Alex Hales, Liam Livingstone and Sherfane Rutherford.
Desert Vipers
Retentions: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, Sam Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Pre-signed: Andries Gous.
Dubai Capitals
Retentions: Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Gulbadin Naib, Rovmann Powell and Shai Hope.
Pre-signed: Luke Wood, Waqar Salamkheil and Muhammad Jawadullah.
Gulf Giants
Retentions: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince and Mark Adair.
Pre-signed: Azmatullah Omarzai, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
MI Emirates
Retentions: AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kusal Perera, Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton and Muhammad Waseem.
Pre-signed: Chris Woakes and Kamindu Mendis.
Sharjah Warriorz
Retentions: Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Tim Southee and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
Pre-signed: Maheesh Theekshana, Sikandar Raza, Saurabh Netravalkar and Tim David.
Now, how many players can each team buy in the auction?
Each franchise can build a squad between 19 and 21 players. So, with the eight retentions done, teams now have room to add 11 to 13 players in the auction.
Among them, teams must stick to the minimum limit set for each category. The categories are:
- 11 overseas players from ICC Full Member teams
- 4 UAE players (local)
- 1 Kuwait player
- 1 Saudi Arabia player
- 2 overseas players from other ICC Associate Member teams
Here are the available slots for each team:
| Team | Total Slots Available | Full Member | UAE | Kuwait | Saudi Arabia | Other Associates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 11-13 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Desert Vipers | 19-21 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dubai Capitals | 19-21 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Gulf Giants | 19-21 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MI Emirates | 19-21 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Sharjah Warriorz | 19-21 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Okay, what’s the purse in the ILT20 2025-26 auction?
Teams will walk in with an auction purse of USD 800,000. Plus, they can spend the unused funds from the USD 1.2 million set aside for retentions and pre-signings.
That means each team’s salary cap for the ILT20 2025-26 season is USD 2 million. While teams can spend all their funds, they should use a minimum of USD 1.5 million on retentions and auction buys.
On top of that, franchises can sign two wildcard players outside the auction for an additional USD 250,000. This amount doesn’t fall under the salary cap.
What’s the base price for players in the ILT20 2025-26 auction?
Players can enter the auction for as low as USD 10,000. Players can also list themselves for USD 40,000, USD 80,000, and USD 120,000.
India’s Ravichandran Ashwin is the only player to have the highest base price in the ILT20 2025-26 auction.
Is there a Right to Match (RTM) card in the ILT20 2025-26?
Yes. But it comes with a limitation. Teams can exercise only one RTM card for a UAE player.
The player, though, must have been part of their squad in the last season or have been part of their development squad.
Where to watch the ILT20 2025-26 auction?
You can stream the ILT20 2025-26 auction live on the ZEE5 app and website. Plus, the live stream will be available on the ILT20’s official YouTube channel.
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