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Dubai Capitals have made a last-minute change to their leadership ahead of the fifth season of the ILT20. They have brought back Sam Billings as captain, replacing Dasun Shanaka.
The England wicketkeeper-batter will once again take the charge of the Dubai Capitals as captain as the franchise looks to win their second ILT20 trophy. He will be available for the entire ILT20 season.
Dubai Capitals make last-minute captaincy change, Sam Billings replaces Dasun Shanaka
Dubai Capitals have announced the return of Sam Billings as captain on Sunday, November 15, ahead of the ILT20 2026. Since he is now the captain, the Englishman will miss the first two matches for Sydney Thunder in the upcoming Big Bash League 2026-27 (BBL 2026-27).
Announcing Billings’ appointment, the Capitals posted on X: “Our Leader. Our Captain: 🫡💥 Sam Billings will lead us once again as we go for our second #DPWorldILT20 Trophy ✨👏."
Our Leader. Our Captain 🫡💥 Sam Billings will lead us once again, as we go for our second #DPWorldILT20 Trophy ✨👏 #SoarHighDubai #WeAreCapitals https://t.co/xtwOz6eZOf
— Dubai Capitals (@Dubai_Capitals) November 15, 2026
This is not the first time Billings will lead the Dubai Capitals. He was also their captain when they won their first ILT20 title in the third season of the tournament in 2025. Interestingly, he was not picked in the initial player auction but returned to the squad as a wildcard signing last month.
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Billings replaced the Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka, who led the team in the previous season. However, the Capitals finished third in the league stage with five wins and six losses before getting knocked out in the Eliminator under Shanaka. The franchise will now hope that Billings can guide them to another title.
Dubai Capitals' fixtures
Dubai Capitals will start their ILT20 2026 campaign against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at home on November 22. They will face Desert Vipers on November 25 and Sharjah Warriorz on November 27. Their next matches will be against Gulf Giants on November 28 and MI Emirates on December 2.
The second half of the league stage will begin with another match against Desert Vipers on December 6. The Capitals will then face Sharjah Warriorz on December 8 and Gulf Giants on December 10.
They will play their final two league matches in Abu Dhabi, taking on MI Emirates on December 13 and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on December 14. The knockout stage will begin on December 16 with Qualifier 1 in Abu Dhabi.
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The Eliminator will be played in Dubai on December 17, followed by Qualifier 2 in Sharjah on December 18. The final is scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 20. All matches of the tournament will start at 6:30 PM GST, which is 8:00 PM IST.
Dubai Capitals have powerful squad for ILT20 2026
Meanwhile, Dubai Capitals have a strong batting lineup with Sam Billings, Phil Salt, and Faf du Plessis at the top. Marcus Stoinis, Rovman Powell, and Dasun Shanaka add more power and experience with both bat and ball alongside their captaincy experience.
Their bowling attack also looks dangerous. Mustafizur Rahman and Noor Ahmad bring quality variations and spin, while Luke Wood, Matthew Potts, and Mark Adair add pace and depth.
Dubai Capitals Squad for ILT20 2026:
Sam Billings (C), Rovman Powell, Faf du Plessis, Phil Salt, Max Holden, Sediqullah Atal, Tom Moores, Masood Gurbaz, Darwish Rasooli, Marcus Stoinis, Dasun Shanaka, Mark Adair, Haider Ali, Usman Najeeb, Hassan Khan, Muhammad Arfan, Karim Janat, Aayan Khan, Mustafizur Rahman, Luke Wood, Noor Ahmad, Matt Potts, Zuhaib Zubair, Anudeep Chenthamara.
