The first edition of the tournament was originally scheduled to take place during January and February 2023, but it was rescheduled to take place from January 2024, with six teams competing.[3] In June 2022, the league was formally named the International League T20, with the dates for the first season also being confirmed.[4]
Shah Rukh Khan inaugurated a performance for the first 2023 edition of ILT20.
Matches in Season 1 were played using standard Twenty20 formats, statistics were not included in official records because Emirates Cricket Board is not a full-member of the International Cricket Council.
ILT20 becomes first Associate-run franchise league to get 'official' List-A status in December 2023.[5]
Overview
The International League T20 (ILT20) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates. The league was founded in 2022 and is sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). The inaugural season of the ILT20 took place from January 13 to February 12, 2023, with six teams competing. The teams were: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders , Dubai Capitals, Desert Vipers , Gulf Giants , MI Emirates , Sharjah Warriors
The ILT20 is played in a double round-robin format, with each team playing each other team twice. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs. The playoffs consist of a semi-final, a third-place play-off, and a final.
The first ILT20 season was won by the Gulf Giants, who defeated Desert Vipers in the final. The tournament was a success, with good crowds and positive feedback from players and fans. The ILT20 is expected to become a major cricket league in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East. The league has a number of rules designed to help young players develop, such as a requirement that each team must have at least two players under the age of 23.
The UAE-based ILT20, one of the major franchise-run T20 leagues around the world despite being just a season old because of the quality of players it has attracted, has been given List A status by the ICC just over a month off the start of its second season. It's the first T20 league run by the board of an Associate nation to be given the status.[5]
What it means is that the tournament will now be recognised as an official T20 tournament, with all tournament statistics given official status. In a statement, the ILT20 called the update "a major milestone" and a "major boost".
"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."
The second edition of the tournament will kick off on January 19 and end on February 17.[9][10]
The upcoming second season of the International League T20 (ILT20) is about to start, and there are some exciting new changes in the playing rules, namely the introduction of the Super Sub and the Wildcard entry. These rule changes aim to make the tournament more thrilling for teams and enhance their squads.
David White, the ILT20 CEO, expressed his enthusiasm about these changes. He said, “We are excited to introduce the Super-Sub and Wildcard in the DP World ILT20 Season 2. The Wildcard will help the teams further strengthen their squads in the lead-up and during the season while the Super-Sub provides the teams the tactical option of replacing a player during a match. The DP World ILT20 saw some thrilling on-field action in Season 1, season 2 features are set to make the tournament even more interesting and engaging for both the spectators at the stadiums and viewers from around the world.”
Let's understand what the Super Sub rule entails. Each team can now substitute one player at any point in the match, but this substitution must occur only after the first over of the innings. If requested, the Super Sub can be brought in at the start of the second innings. However, once substituted, a player cannot return to the game.
Here's how the Super Sub process works: The Head Coach informs the fourth umpire, and then the on-field umpires signal the scorers by crossing their wrists above their head, indicating the introduction of a Super Sub. The Super Sub can join after an over is completed or, if the player is a batter, they can enter when a wicket falls or when a batter retires during the over. For the bowling team, they can use a Super Sub when a wicket falls, but if it happens mid-over, the Super Sub cannot bowl the remaining balls in that over.
Now, let's delve into the Wildcard rule! Each team has the option to add two players to their roster, going beyond the permitted limit of 22 players. However, if a team has already spent the maximum of $2.5 million, they can only spend a maximum of 10% of the salary cap, which is $250,000.
If a team hasn't reached the maximum salary spend of $2.5 million, they can use the remaining amount. Additionally, they can spend an extra $250,000 if needed, but they must remain within the Wildcard player spend limit.
The Wildcard players can join the tournament at any stage, but they cannot be replaced by any other replacement or Wildcard players once they've been included.
These new rules aim to add excitement and strategic elements to the tournament, offering teams more flexibility in managing their squads throughout the season.[11]
The ILT20 has a number of rules which vary from the established Laws of cricket or those used in other Twenty20 leagues:
Nine out of eleven players on each team can be overseas players,[12] which will be significantly higher than the four or five overseas-player-limit of other major T20 leagues.[13] Two players on each team must be a UAE player and a player from an Associate Member nation respectively.[12]
Teams can use a substitute, termed an "Super Sub", from a list of Seven players named as possible substitutes. The substitution can be made before the start of innings, when a wicket falls, when a batter retires, or at the end of an over. Both teams can introduce a substitute once per match.
Reactions
There has been some controversy around the ILT20's plan to only require one local (UAE) player in the playing XI of each team, with several Full Members calling for regulations requiring a higher minimum number of local players in the ILT20 and other T20 leagues.[14] 108 million people tuned in from across India even though attendance was low.[15] Attendance was low due to lack of participation of Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cricketers.[16]
In May 2021, Essel Group owned Zee Entertainment Enterprises bought the media rights of this league for ten years from 2023 to 2032 at a cost of US$120 million.[17][18] (Also see approx. $10.2 million a year)
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The 2023 International League T20, also known as the DP World ILT20 2023 for sponsorship reasons, was the inaugural season of the International League T20 (ILT20), a professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates, organised by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). In June 2022, it was confirmed that the season would be played in January and February 2023. The fixtures were announced on 29 November with the league set to run from January 13 to February 12.
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