The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction will be held in Dubai on October 1, with the tournament’s six franchises looking to finalise their squads ahead of the 2026 season, which runs from November 21 to December 20.
Following the pre-auction signings announced in August, teams will head into the auction with a $1.3 million purse, in addition to any unspent balance from the $700,000 allocated for direct signings and retentions. Each franchise must finish with a total squad spend between $1.5 million and $2 million.
Squad composition rules
Franchises must assemble squads of 18 to 23 players, while adhering to strict nationality quotas designed to strengthen both Full Member and Associate cricket.
Each squad must include a minimum of 11 players from ICC Full Member nations, including at least four Afghans and one Irish player. Teams are also required to sign four UAE players, one player each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and at least one additional Associate player from another ICC Associate nation.
Auction mechanics and Right to Match
Players entered the auction with base prices of $10,000, $40,000 or $80,000, depending on their eligibility and international experience. UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia players all carry a base price of $10,000.
Bidding will begin at the player’s base price before rising in increments of $2,000 up to $50,000, $5,000 between $50,000 and $100,000, and $10,000 thereafter.
Each franchise will also have four optional Right to Match cards — one each for a Full Member player, an Associate player, a UAE player, and a Kuwait or Saudi Arabia player who represented the franchise in Season 4.
Once the standard player sets conclude, franchises with vacant roster spots may nominate up to eight players for an Accelerated Set before the auction closes.
Replacements during the season
Teams will be allowed to replace players who are injured, unavailable due to international duty or unable to obtain a No Objection Certificate until the end of the league phase. Mandatory quota players, however, must be replaced from the pool of players who registered for the auction.
Season 5 of the six-team, 34-match ILT20 will be played across the UAE from November 21 to December 20.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
