UAE’s iconic cricket league - DP World ILT20, season 3 schedule announced

By K.R. Nayar

Schedule for UAE’s very own cricket league – the much awaited DP World ILT20 season 3- has been announced. The tournament will kick off on January 11, 2025, with defending champions MI Emirates facing off against the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium (DIS) at 6pm. What makes the opening match special is that it would be a re-match of Season 2’s final clash. Fans can look forward to watching T20 superstars who delivered spectacular performances in the previous editions return to action.


The league will be hosted at three iconic venues in the UAE: Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium, Dubai International Stadium, and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. All six DP World ILT20 franchises are expected to field well-balanced squads, ensuring high-quality competition in the T20 format. This month-long tournament, featuring 34 matches, will conclude on February 9 at the Dubai International Stadium.

David White - CEO DP World ILT20

David White, CEO of DP World ILT20 and a former New Zealand Test player, remarked: "We are set for a bigger and better edition of the DP World International League T20 this time. The schedule for Season 3 has been unveiled, with the first ball to be bowled at our iconic Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, January 11. Defending champions MI Emirates will take on the Dubai Capitals in what promises to be an exciting re-match of Season 2’s grand finale."

MI Emirates celebrate on winning  the 2024 edition 

The strong attendance in previous editions has provided a significant boost for the league, and similar enthusiasm is anticipated this year. The matches will be broadcast on Zee Network in India, while broadcast partners for the rest of the world will be announced soon.


On the second day (Sunday, 12 January), Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will launch their Season 3 campaign with a home game against Season 1 finalists’ the Desert Vipers at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket. That same evening, Season 1 champions Gulf Giants will meet the Sharjah Warriorz in their tournament opener at the Dubai International Stadium. 

 Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host its first match on January 17, featuring Sharjah Warriorz and Dubai Capitals at 6:30 PM. In total, this venue will host eight matches. The Dubai International Stadium will stage 15 matches, while Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium will host 11. On the double-header weekends, afternoon games will start at 2pm.


The league’s star studded line up boasts of all six DP World ILT20 franchises retaining players like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Alex Hales and Sherfane Rutherford (Desert Vipers), David Warner and Rovman Powell (Dubai Capitals), Chris Jordan and Shimron Hetmyer (Gulf Giants), Akeal Hossein and Nicholas Pooran (MI Emirates), Adil Rashid (Sharjah Warriorz Wildcard Pick in Season 2) and Johnson Charles (Sharjah Warriorz).

Legendary batter David Warner will be in action 

Players who will further bolster the image of the tournament are Jason Roy (Sharjah Warriorz), Fakhar Zaman (Desert Vipers), Shai Hope (Dubai Capitals), Lockie Ferguson (Desert Vipers), Roston Chase (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Matthew Wade (Sharjah Warriorz), Ibrahim Zadran (Gulf Giants) and Romario Shepherd (MI Emirates). Players from the UAE will be selected next week.


The DP World ILT20’s glittering trophy has become one of the most coveted prizes in the cricket calendar. Special ticket offers will be announced soon to reward fans who have made the tournament a success. Plans are also underway to encourage families to attend in large numbers, particularly during weekends, with fan carnivals to be organized at the stadiums in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.

 The tournament is scheduled during the UAE's ideal winter weather, providing a perfect backdrop for cricket and an added treat for visitors traveling to the UAE during this period.

 DP World International League T20 – Season 3 match schedule:

Saturday, 11 January – Dubai Capitals vs MI Emirates, Dubai – 6:00pm

Sunday, 12 January – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers, Abu Dhabi – 2:00pm

Sunday, 12 January – Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriorz, Dubai – 6:00pm

Monday, 13 January – MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm

Tuesday, 14 January – Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers, Dubai – 6:30pm

Wednesday, 15 January – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriorz, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm

Thursday, 16 January – Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates, Dubai – 6:30pm

Friday, 17 January – Sharjah Warriorz vs Dubai Capitals, Sharjah – 6:30pm

Saturday, 18 January – Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai – 2:00pm

Saturday, 18 January – Gulf Giants vs Dubai Capitals, Sharjah – 6:00pm

Sunday, 19 January – Sharjah Warriorz vs MI Emirates, Sharjah – 2:00pm

Sunday, 19 January – Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai – 6:00pm

Monday, 20 January – Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers, Dubai – 6:30pm

Tuesday, 21 January – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm

Wednesday, 22 January – Desert Vipers vs Sharjah Warriorz, Dubai – 6:30pm

Thursday, 23 January – Dubai Capitals vs Gulf Giants, Dubai – 6:30pm

Friday, 24 January – MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm

Saturday, 25 January – Sharjah Warriorz vs Desert Vipers, Sharjah – 2:00pm

Saturday, 25 January – MI Emirates vs Gulf Giants, Abu Dhabi – 6:00pm

Sunday, 26 January – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi – 2:00pm

Sunday, 26 January – Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants, Sharjah – 6:00pm

Monday, 27 January – MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm

Tuesday, 28 January – Dubai Capitals vs Sharjah Warriorz, Dubai – 6:30pm

Wednesday, 29 January – Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants, Dubai – 6:30pm

Thursday, 30 January – Sharjah Warriorz vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Sharjah – 6:30pm

Friday, 31 January – Gulf Giants vs MI Emirates, Dubai – 6:30pm

Saturday, 1 February – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf Giants, Abu Dhabi – 6:00pm

Sunday, 2 February – MI Emirates vs Sharjah Warriorz, Abu Dhabi – 2:00pm

Sunday, 2 February – Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai – 6:00pm

Monday, 3 February – Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals, Sharjah – 6:00pm

Wednesday, 5 February – Qualifier 1 – Seed 1 vs Seed 2, Dubai – 6:30pm

Thursday, 6 February – Eliminator – Seed 3 vs Seed 4, Abu Dhabi – 6:30pm

Friday, 7 February – Qualifier 2 – Loser of Q1 vs Winner of Eliminator, Sharjah – 6:30pm

Sunday, 9 February – Final – Winner of Q1 vs Winner of Q2, Dubai – 6:00pm

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

European Cricket Association launched in Paris to boost the game in the region

Image
By K.R. Nayar A cricket organisation to boost the game in Europe was launched in Paris today. Six cricketing nations joined hands and formed the European Cricket Association. The inaugural meeting of the association held at Pullman Effiel was attended by representatives of six cricket playing nations  - France, Italy, Jersey, Malta, Austria and Romania. France was the host of the meeting which was held under the chairmanship of Gurumurthy Palani, the Board Advisor to the France Cricket Association, till the president of the body is chosen. European Cricket Association officials at their launch meeting  Gabriel Marin of Romania was elected as the first President of the European Cricket Association, while Fabio Marabini of Italy will be the First Vice President. Three vice presidents were elected, which included Indika Perera (Malta), Sarah Gomersall (Jersey) and Gurumurthy Palani (France). Bilal Zal Mai of Austria will be the Executive Committee Member. Speaking about the...
Read more

UAE’s richest domestic cricket tournament launched through a 100-ball format in Sharjah

Image
By K.R. Nayar Petromann Sports Management is known to stage cricket events with a unique twist. The mastermind behind these innovations is Abdul Latif Khan, Founder of Petromann Sports Management. He brought tennis ball cricket to the international level through the 10PL, offering the richest prize money in this format. Now, he is set to launch Elite Corporate Cricket Bash (ECCB), a unique 100-ball format, which is likely to become one of the UAE's richest domestic tournaments, with a prize of Dh 1.3 million, at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Mazhar Khan and Dav Whatmore release the event jersey as Abdul Latif Khan and Nasir Akram look on  This ten-day tournament will feature 12 corporate teams. Petromann Sports Management, in collaboration with the Sharjah Cricket Council and Emirates Cricket Board, has created this platform to discover emerging UAE talent. The tournament, expected to revolutionize the UAE's domestic cricket scene, will reach an audience of 300 mill...
Read more

Remembering the first girl to play cricket in the UAE as the country hosts its first Women’s World Cup

Image
By K.R. Nayar The UAE is set to host the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 starting on October 3. There was a time when girls in this country hardly considered playing cricket. Instead, they preferred sports like badminton, tennis, and basketball, and rarely, if ever, held a cricket bat. It was during this period that a 10-year-old girl, Natasha Michael Cherriath, walked onto a cricket field with a bat in hand.   Natasha Michael showed the way for other women cricketers in the UAE Natasha had no other girls to play with, and the boys curiously observed her as she joined a game typically played only by them.   Every movement requires a pioneer, and Natasha was the one who started it all for girls' cricket here. While she learned the basics of the game from her father, Michael, he took her to renowned coach Shehzad Altaf, who had represented the UAE in the 1996 World Cup. Although Altaf initially told her that cricket was a sport for boys, Natasha was determined to learn. It didn’t ...
Read more