UAE's ILT20 Becomes First Associate-Run Franchise League To Get List A Status From ICC

Despite being just a season old, UAE’s ILT20 has become the first-ever Associate-run franchise league to get List A status. The first season of the competition was played from January 13 to February 12 earlier this year. A total of six teams – Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, MI Emirates, Sharjah Warriors, Gulf Giants, and Desert Vipers – participated in the competition.

In its very first season, ILT20 attracted some big names from around the world. Players such as Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Colin Munro, Wanindu Hasaranga, Alex Hales, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Moeen Ali, Dawid Malan participated in the inaugural season.

With ILT20 managing to attract quality players, the ICC has given the tournament List A status. The tournament has now become the first T20 league run by the board of an Associate nation to be given the status. This announcement signifies the formal recognition of the tournament as an official T20 event, granting all statistics from the competition official status.

“Earning the List A status is a major milestone for the DP World International League T20. We would like to thank the ICC for the acknowledgment,” David White, chief executive of the league, said. “The recognition is a clear indication of the strength and stature of our league.”

DP World ILT20 awarded List A status by #ICC!
David White, CEO of DP World ILT20 offered his insights into how this makes #DPWorldIT20 one of the world's top leagues!
Read More: https://t.co/9nnFL1Ctg5
Book your tickets on https://t.co/VekRYhpzz6 or at all 14 Virgin Megastore… pic.twitter.com/pJb136jId0

— International League T20 (@ILT20Official) December 11, 2023

ILT20 gears up for second season:

The much-awaited second season of ILT20 is scheduled to be played from January 19 to February 17. The tournament dates are set to overlap with several other T20 competitions, including the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), South Africa’s SA20, Australia’s Big Bash League, and the Pakistan Super League.

However, it will not affect the quality of the tournament. According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, top cricket stars like David Warner, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Alex Hales, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, Chris Woakes, Maheesh Theekshana, and others are going to be in action at the ILT20.