ILT20 Season 5 Matches: Defending champions Desert Vipers take on MI Emirates in opening blockbuster on November 21

The Desert Vipers are the reigning ILT20 champions. NEW DELHI: Season 5 of the ILT20 will begin with a repeat of last year’s final as defending champions Desert Vipers take on MI Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium on November 21.The opener brings together two of the tournament’s most storied teams, with the Vipers opening their title defense against the team they defeated last season at the summit. The match will start at 18:30 local time.The Vipers have added significant firepower to their squad for the new season, with their auction signings including Pakistan stars Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan. They also retained the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Dan Lawrence as pre-auction signings.Meanwhile, MI Emirates will be led by a formidable group that includes Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd, while Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jonny Bairstow and Kusal Perera are among their auction acquisitions.In the second match of the season, Sharjah Warriorz take on Gulf Giants at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on November 22, before Dubai Capitals take on Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the second leg of the opening doubleheader in Dubai.Each of the six teams will play 10 games in the 34-game tournament, with the top four advancing to the playoffs. The competition will culminate in the final at the Dubai International Stadium on December 20.Dubai will host 15 matches, while Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium will host 11 and Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host eight. The tournament will also feature six days of two-match action.

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Abu Dhabi Knight RidersAuction signatures: Alishan Sharafu, Amshi De Silva, Muhammad Rohid, Moeen Ali, Arab Gul, Usman Tariq, Gulbadin Naib, Ibrar Ahmed, Andre Fletcher, Ajay Kumar, Colin Munro, Michael Pepper, Qais Ahmad, Jakeem Pollard, Abdul Mannan Tucker Tucker, Ravija Sandrak, Ravija SandPre-auction signatures: Starring Finn Allen, Jason Holder, Matthew Tromp, Sunil NarineDesert viperAuction Signatures: David Payne, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Vriitya Aravind, Aneurin Donald, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Joe Clarke, Nangeyalia Kharote, Sanjay Pahal, Harry Tector, Ishtiaq Ahmal Tahir, B. Safiem, Safiem Nilansh MohamedPre-auction signatures: Andries Gous, Dan Lawrence, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Shimron HetmyerDubai CapitalsAuction Signatures: Faf du Plessis, Max Holden, Dasun Shanaka, Aayan Khan, Hassan Khan, Phil Salt, Sediqullah Atal, Mark Adair, Karim Janat, Luke Wood, Tom Moores, Haider Ali, Zuhaib Zubair, Darwish Rasooli, Muhammad Arfan, Matt Potts, Ul An Usman Masman NajebaPre-auction signatures: Marcus Stoinis, Mustafizur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rovman PowellGiants of the GulfAuction Signatures: Liam Livingstone, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, David Wiese, Ibrahim Zadran, Tabraiz Shamsi, Curtis Campher, Dhruv Parashar, Matiullah Khan, Haider Razzaq, Imran Mir, Imtiaz Khan, Meet Bhavsar, Shuubul Alahgaran, Wahided Ahmad Zadranyan Athanaze.Pre-auction signatures: Azmatullah Omarzai, Blessing Muzarabani, David Miller, Heinrich KlaasenMI EmiratesAuction Signatures: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Muhammad Waseem, Chris Jordan, Allah Ghazanfar, Lizaad Williams, James Coles, Jonny Bairstow, Kusal Perera, Jordan Thompson, Zahoor Khan, Wasim Akram, Zain Ul Abidin, Muhammad Shafeeq, Asa Tribe, Rahizal Farhna Krihna, Rahizal Farhna Krihnai Nather Dawoodzai, Ross AdairPre-auction signatures: Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Romario Shepherd, Sherfane RutherfordSharjah WarriorsAuction Signatures: Richard Gleeson, Mohammad Nabi, Paul Walter, Adil Rashid, Brandon McMullen, Tom Banton, Craig Overton, George Linde, Ali Aamer Naseer, Fareed Malik, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Logan van Beek, Junaid Siddique, Tanish Suri, Nabeel Aziz, Georgemad Dockrell, A Selraj Dockrell, James MorunPre-auction signatures: Adam Milne, James Vince, Waqar Salamkheil, Sikandar Raza

Schedule

DateMatchVenueTime (IST)November 21Desert Vipers vs MI EmiratesDubai8 PMNovember 22Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf GiantsSharjah 3:30 p.mNovember 22Dubai Capitals vs. Abu Dhabi Knight RidersDubai 20:00November 23Sharjah Warriorz vs Desert VipersSharjah8 PMNovember 24Gulf Giants vs MI EmiratesDubai 20:00November 25Dubai Capitals vs Desert VipersDubai8 PMNovember 26Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI EmiratesAbu Dhabi8 PMNovember 27Sharjah Warriorz vs Dubai CapitalsSharjah8 PMNovember 28MI Emirates v Desert Vipers Abu Dhabi 3.30pmNovember 28Gulf Giants vs Dubai CapitalsDubai8 PMNovember 29Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah WarriorsAbu Dhabi 3:30 p.mNovember 29Desert Vipers vs Gulf GiantsDubai8 PMNovember 30MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersAbu Dhabi8 PMDecember 1stGulf Giants vs Sharjah WarriorzSharjah8 PMDecember 2ndAbu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert VipersAbu Dhabi3: 30 PMDecember 2ndDubai Capitals vs MI EmiratesDubai 20:00December 3rdGulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersDubai 20:00December 4thDesert Vipers vs Sharjah WarriorzSharjah8 PMDecember 5thAbu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf GiantsAbu Dhabi8 PMDecember 6MI Emirates vs Sharjah WarriorsAbu Dhabi8 PMDecember 6Desert Vipers vs Dubai CapitalsDubai8 PMDecember 7thMI Emirates vs Gulf Giants Abu Dhabi 8 PMDecember 8thDubai Capitals vs Sharjah WarriorzDubai8 PMDecember 9Sharjah Warriorz vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersSharjah8 PMDecember 10thDubai Capitals vs Gulf GiantsDubai8 PMDecember 11thSharjah Warriorz vs MI EmiratesSharjah8 PMDecember 12thDesert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight RidersDubai8 PMDecember 13thMI Emirates vs. Dubai Capitals Abu Dhabi 3:30 p.mDecember 13thGulf Giants vs Desert VipersDubai8 PMDecember 14thAbu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai CapitalsAbu Dhabi8 PM