On 4th January 2026, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, under the captaincy of England Test all-rounder Sam Curran, Desert Vipers defeated the 2024 champions MI Emirates by 46 runs to win the ILT20 title for the first time.

This was Desert Vipers’ third final after 2023 and 2025. However, this time they did not leave the final empty-handed; instead, they emerged as champions for the very first time.

In the 4th edition of ILT20, among the six teams, Desert Vipers were the only side that had Pakistani players in action. Pakistan’s former Test all-rounder Azhar Mahmood was also part of the coaching staff of this team.

Initially, Pakistan’s Test opener Fakhar Zaman, Test fast bowler Naseem Shah, and international cricketer Hasan Nawaz played for the team. However, for the last two matches, spinner Usman Tariq was also included in the squad.

Talking about the performance of Pakistani players:

Fakhar Zaman played 12 matches and scored 260 runs at a strike rate of 124.40

Hasan Nawaz played 12 matches, scoring 124 runs with a strike rate of 126.53.

Right-arm fast bowler Naseem Shah played 8 matches, taking 12 wickets at an average of 17.91.

Meanwhile, Usman Tariq played only 2 matches and took 5 wickets.

Sixty-four-year-old David White, who has played 2 Tests and 3 ODIs for New Zealand and is the former chief executive, is currently associated with ILT20 as its CEO. He says that Pakistani players prove to be good for the league; people in the UAE want to see them, and we think the same. However, apart from Desert Vipers, no other team included Pakistani cricketers in their squads. But we hope that in the future, more Pakistani cricketers will be seen in action in ILT20.

The first edition of the DP World ILT20 League was played in 2023. Like various other cricket leagues around the world, foreign players also take part in this league. However, the special feature of this league is that it provides an excellent global platform for the local players of the Associate Member country UAE.

The primary objective of DP World ILT20 is the development of Associate and UAE local players and to enhance their profile. On the other hand, with time, this league is gradually establishing itself at the international level along with gaining the attention of cricket fans. To achieve this goal, the league management is introducing exciting and interactive initiatives based on modern technology to bring fans to the stadiums.

As a result of these efforts, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was packed to capacity for this year’s ILT20 final, and the official attendance was 22,133, which can certainly be regarded as a remarkable milestone for the future of the league.

In the future, after the UAE and Kuwait, it will be ensured in ILT20 that each team includes at least one player representing Saudi Arabia as well. On one hand, this league appears to be making every effort to become one of the most attractive leagues in the world; on the other hand, it is proving to be a breath of fresh air particularly for players from ICC associate member countries.

Emirates Cricket Board Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad says he is pleased that the journey of ILT20 is moving forward in an excellent manner, and he hopes that in the coming years the league will become even more appealing. He said that they are trying to increase the number of Pakistani players in the league, because people in the UAE like Pakistani cricketers. Subhan Ahmad says the ILT20 league holds great importance especially for associate member countries, for the future of our UAE cricketers, and for the development of cricket in the UAE. He added that they are hopeful of making this journey even more remarkable.