Newcomers and Returning Stars for ILT20 Season 5
Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Finn Allen are scheduled to make their debuts in the Dubai International League T20 2026. These three players were secured through pre-auction signings for the tournament’s fifth season. Allen will join Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Miller and Klaasen are set to play for Gulf Giants.
In addition to the new faces, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis will return to the tournament, playing for Dubai Capitals after a three-year absence. Several prominent players, including Jason Holder, Sunil Narine (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Shimron Hetmyer (Desert Vipers), Rovman Powell, and Mustafizur Rahman (Dubai Capitals), are also returning to their respective franchises from Season 4.
Other returning players include Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, and Romario Shepherd for MI Emirates, and Sikandar Raza for Sharjah Warriorz. The defending champions, Desert Vipers, have retained Andries Gous and Dan Lawrence. Azmatullah Omarzai and Blessing Muzarabani are also returning to the Giants camp.
Pre-Auction Signings and Squad Finalisation
The six DP World ILT20 franchises completed their pre-auction signing process for foreign players by the submission deadline of Monday, 3 August. Each team was allowed to make a total of four pre-auction signings. The teams will further build their squads by adding players from the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.
Squads are mandated to have a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 23 players. The DP World ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction is scheduled to take place in Dubai on Thursday, 1 October 2026. Following the auction, each team will have the opportunity to add one wildcard signing to complete their roster.
Finn Allen, a right-handed opener from New Zealand, was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 2 crore ahead of IPL 2026. He is noted for his aggressive batting style, having scored a 33-ball century in a T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final match against South Africa. In 62 T20I appearances, he has accumulated 1663 runs, including three centuries, at a strike-rate of 170.73.
David Miller, a left-handed middle-order batter, was signed by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore before IPL 2026. He has played 140 T20I matches for South Africa, scoring 2804 runs at an average of 33.78 and a strike-rate of 141.40.
Heinrich Klaasen, a wicketkeeper-batter, was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 23 crore. He has scored 1000 runs for South Africa in 58 T2I matches and is recognised for his hitting ability, particularly against spin bowling. He has nearly 300 T20 appearances and close to 7000 runs in the format.
Team Rosters and Notable Signings
The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders squad includes retained players Sunil Narine and Jason Holder, along with new signings Finn Allen and Matthew Tromp. Tromp, from the USA, has played in 18 T20s, scoring 385 runs with an average of 29.61 and a strike-rate of 150.39.
The Gulf Giants have retained Azmatullah Omarzai and Blessing Muzarabani, and signed David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen. MI Emirates have retained Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, and Romario Shepherd, while adding Sherfane Rutherford. Rutherford has made nine previous appearances for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and 30 for Desert Vipers.
Sharjah Warriorz have retained Sikandar Raza and completed their pre-auction signings with Adam Milne, James Vince, and Waqar Salamkheil. Milne has 12 appearances for the Warriorz in Season 3, while Vince has 42 previous appearances for Gulf Giants. Salamkheil has 21 previous appearances for MI Emirates and 11 for Dubai Capitals.
Desert Vipers have retained Shimron Hetmyer, Andries Gous, and Dan Lawrence, and signed Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Mujeeb Ur Rahman has made five previous appearances each for Gulf Giants and Dubai Capitals. Noor Ahmad, signed by Dubai Capitals, has seven previous appearances for Sharjah Warriorz and eight for Desert Vipers. The International League T20 tournament is scheduled to begin on November 22 and will feature a total of 34 matches.
Source: india.com
