The fourth edition of the International League T20 will kick off on Tuesday, December 2. After the first-ever auction, the league is expanding a lot from the fourth season onwards, featuring players from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and there is some Indian participation as well in the 2025-26 edition.
The International League T20 will be back in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and on everyone’s television screens after just 10 months, with the tournament being advanced by a month and a little bit more because of the T20 World Cup. The changed window has meant better player availability from all across the world, including players from Australia, South Africa and India in the fourth edition, since the league is starting much before the Big Bash League and the SA20 and a couple of former Indian players have been enticed to be part of the tournament.
The competition is on its way to really become an international tournament, with Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian players included in the tournament for the first time. And since Australian, South African and several other overseas players who are regulars in BBL and SA20 have also decided to ply their trade in the ILT20 and so has a couple of retired Indian players.
Dinesh Karthik, who was seen in the SA20 earlier this year for the Paarl Royals, is continuing his journey as a player, despite also donning the hats of a coach and a commentator. Karthik was roped in as a replacement player by the Sharjah Warriorz for Kusal Mendis and was pre-signed before the auction.
“I am very excited to be joining the Sharjah Warriorz team for the ILT20 tournament. I know they are a young team, aspiring to do some special things, and I am happy to be here,” Karthik had said in a Warriorz statement in September. Karthik will be the first capped Indian player to play for the Warriorz in the ILT20. Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan (both Dubai Capitals) and Ambati Rayudu (MI Emirates) have previously been part of the tournament.
Karthik will join the likes of Tim David, Sikandar Raza, Matheesha Pathirana, Mark Chapman, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tim Southee at the Warriorz.
Another retired Indian player, Piyush Chawla, was signed before the auction by the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders as a wildcard pick. Chawla, who represented the Kolkata Knight Riders for six seasons from 2014-2019, was back with the franchise, albeit in a different tournament after six years.
Chawla will be accompanied by the former Indian U19 World Cup-winning captain and now an American cricketer, Unmukt Chand, who also plays for the Knight Riders’ satellite franchise in Major League Cricket. The Knight Riders will be led by Jason Holder and have reinforced their squad with the likes of Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Alex Hales, and Sherfane Rutherford apart from purple regulars, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.