International League T20 (ILT20) Set To Kick Off On January 13 With Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Vs Dubai Capitals Fixture

The much-anticipated International League T20 (ILT20) schedule has been announced. The inaugural ILT20 in the UAE will kick off on Friday, January 13 at the Dubai International Stadium, with the Dubai Capitals taking on the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Meanwhile, the grand finale is scheduled to be held in Dubai on February 12.

The competition will begin and end at the Dubai International Stadium. A total of 34 matches are played in the span of a month, including 30 league games and four playoffs. 16 games will be played in Dubai, with ten games played at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium and eight games at Sharjah International Stadium. Five days of doubleheaders are scheduled on weekends. The playoffs are similar to the IPL, with the top four teams competing in the qualifiers, eliminators, and a grand final.

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The second match of the tournament will be between MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriors on January 14, while the Gulf Giants and Desert Vipers will face the Knight Riders and the Warriors on January 15, which will be the first double header day of the tournament.

The Desert Vipers, MI Emirates, Dubai Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Gulf Giants, and Sharjah Warriors are competing for prestige and the maiden title. Three of the six franchises are IPL-based and owned. The first games on single-game days will start at 6 pm local time (7.30 pm IST), while the afternoon matches on double-headers will start at 2 pm local time (3.30 pm IST).

Speaking about the ILT20 schedule, Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary, Emirates Cricket Board said, “This is a very exciting time for the league and, collectively, we are delighted to announce the 2023 ILT20 playing schedule. To have superstars such as Dubai Capital’s Dasun Shanaka and Abu Dhabi Knight Rider’s Andre Russell open their teams’ accounts is very exciting. We cannot wait for the teams to arrive (in early January) and battle it out on the park and provide world-class entertainment to the cricket fans here, in the UAE, and around the globe.”

“It is very important for us to launch the first season in an emphatic style, and the league management is very excited to have engaged with globally recognised artists in Badshah and Jason Derulo, both of whom will undoubtedly energise the teams, and the fans leading into the opening match. We are confident that the ILT20 will be a huge success.”

The ILT20 is part of the January 2023 calendar that includes South Africa’s inaugural T20 league and Australia’s Big Bash league. SA20 has announced matches from January 10 to February 11, while the Big Bash League will begin in December. Despite this, veteran cricketers such as Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Trent Boult, Alex Hales, Dasun Shanaka, and others have committed to playing in the Dubai-based league.

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