The third edition of the International League T20 tournament was kicked off on January 11, featuring the Dubai Capitals facing off against MI Emirates in the inaugural match. The final match of the tournament will occur on February 9, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

This year’s competition includes six teams: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Dubai Capitals, and Sharjah Warriors. A total of 34 matches are scheduled, using a double round-robin format where each team will compete against one another twice. Following the league stage, the playoffs will begin on February 5.

The playoffs will consist of Qualifier 1, involving the top two teams from the group stage, followed by an Eliminator between the third and fourth-placed teams. The loser of Qualifier 1 will then play against the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2, with the winner advancing to face the winner of Qualifier 1 in the Final.

Matches for the International League T20 2025 will be hosted at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, and Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.

In the previous edition, MI Emirates claimed victory over Dubai Capitals in the final, winning by 45 runs.

As one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year, the International League T20 will showcase top players, including Allah Ghazanfar, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Fakhar Zaman, Aayan Afzal Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nicholas Pooran, and Adil Rashid.

Previous Edition’s Stats:

• Winners: MI Emirates
• Runners-up: Dubai Capitals
• Top Run Scorer: James Vince, Gulf Giants (356 Runs)
• Top Wicket Taker: Fazalhaq Farooqi, MI Emirates (17 Wickets)

Impact Players in Each Team:

1. MI Emirates: Romario Shepherd, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kieron Pollard, Andre Fletcher
2. Sharjah Warriors: Adil Rashid, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Harmeet Singh, Virandeep Singh
3. Gulf Giants: Dominic Drakes, Aayan Afzal Khan, Dipendra Singh Airee, Shimron Hetmyer
4. Dubai Capitals: Gulbadin Naib, Rovman Powell, Najibullah Zadran, Scott Kuggeleijn
5. Desert Vipers: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir, Sherfane Rutherford, Lockie Ferguson
6. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Allah Ghazanfar, Gudakesh Motie, Andries Gous, Charith Asalanka

Teams and Squads:

• Dubai Capitals: Adam Rossington, Brandon McMullen, Garuka Sanketh, Gulbadin Naib, Jeffrey Vandersay, Joe Burns, Joe Weatherley, Najibullah Zadran, Obed McCoy, Scott Kuggeleijn, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shai Hope, Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Dushmantha Chameera, Haider Ali, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza, Zahir Khan, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Oliver Stone
• Gulf Giants: Adam Lyth, Dominic Drakes, Daniel Worrall, Ibrahim Zadran, Mark Adair, Tom Curran, Tymal Mills, Wahidullah Zadran, Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Chris Jordan, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gerhard Erasmus, Jamie Overton, James Vince, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Mohammad Zuhaib Zubair, Rehan Ahmed, Shimron Hetmyer
• Sharjah Warriors: Adam Milne, Adil Rashid, Ashton Agar, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Daniel Sams, Gus Atkinson, Harmeet Singh, Jason Roy, Karim Janat, Keemo Paul, Matthew Wade, Virandeep Singh, Tim Seifert, Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah, Kusal Mendis, Luke Wells, Peter Hatzoglou, Tom Kohler-Cadmore
• MI Emirates: Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton, Fareed Ahmad, Thomas Jack Draca, Ben Charlesworth, Akeal Hosein, Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Nosthush Kenjige, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Waqar Salamkheil
• Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Gudakesh Motie, Hassan Khan, Roston Chase, Terrance Hinds, Aditya Shetty, Ali Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Andries Ghous, Charith Asalanka, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper, Sunil Narine
• Desert Vipers: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Fakhar Zaman, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede (injured), Luke Wood, Michael Jones, Mohammad Amir, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Tanish Suri, Wanindu Hasaranga

Fixtures Schedule:

• January 11, Saturday
  Match 1: Dubai Capitals vs MI Emirates – Dubai
• January 12, Sunday
  Match 2: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers – Abu Dhabi
  Match 3: Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriors – Dubai
• January 13, Monday
  Match 4: MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals – Abu Dhabi
• January 14, Tuesday
  Match 5: Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers – Dubai
• January 15, Wednesday
  Match 6: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriors – Abu Dhabi
• January 16, Thursday
  Match 7: Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates – Dubai
• January 17, Friday
  Match 8: Sharjah Warriors vs Dubai Capitals – Sharjah
• January 18, Saturday
  Match 9: Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – Dubai
  Match 10: Gulf Giants vs Dubai Capitals – Sharjah
• January 19, Sunday
  Match 11: Sharjah Warriors vs MI Emirates – Sharjah
  Match 12: Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – Dubai
• January 20, Monday
  Match 13: Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers – Dubai
• January 21, Tuesday
  Match 14: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates – Abu Dhabi
• January 22, Wednesday
  Match 15: Desert Vipers vs Sharjah Warriors – Dubai
• January 23, Thursday
  Match 16: Dubai Capitals vs Gulf Giants – Dubai
• January 24, Friday
  Match 17: MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – Abu Dhabi
• January 25, Saturday
  Match 18: Sharjah Warriors vs Desert Vipers – Sharjah
  Match 19: MI Emirates vs Gulf Giants – Abu Dhabi
• January 26, Sunday
  Match 20: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai Capitals – Abu Dhabi
  Match 21: Sharjah Warriors vs Gulf Giants – Sharjah
• January 27, Monday
  Match 22: MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers – Abu Dhabi
• January 28, Tuesday
  Match 23: Dubai Capitals vs Sharjah Warriors – Dubai
• January 29, Wednesday
  Match 24: Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants – Dubai
• January 30, Thursday
  Match 25: Sharjah Warriors vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – Sharjah
• January 31, Friday
  Match 26: Gulf Giants vs MI Emirates – Dubai
• February 1, Saturday
  Match 27: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf Giants – Abu Dhabi
• February 2, Sunday
  Match 28: MI Emirates vs Sharjah Warriors – Abu Dhabi
  Match 29: Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – Dubai
• February 3, Monday
  Match 30: Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals – Sharjah
• February 5, Wednesday
  Qualifier 1 (31st Match): 1st Placed Team vs 2nd Placed Team – Dubai
• February 6, Thursday
  Eliminator (32nd Match): 3rd Placed Team vs 4th Placed Team – Abu Dhabi
• February 7, Friday
  Qualifier 2 (33rd Match): Eliminator Winner vs Qualifier 1 Loser – Sharjah
• February 9, Sunday
  Final Match (34th Match): TBA vs TBA – Dubai

Where to Watch ILT20 2025 Live on TV:
Indian cricket fans can catch the live telecast of the ILT20 2025 matches on ZEE Network TV channels.

Where to Watch ILT20 2025 Games Online in India:
The ILT20 2025 matches will be available for live streaming on the Fancode app and website.

Australia’s left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has credited his move to Tasmania in the domestic cricket circuit for his recall to the Test team ahead of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

Kuhnemann previously featured in three Tests during the India tour in early 2023, where he even achieved a five-wicket haul. However, he struggled afterwards, finishing the 2023/24 Sheffield Shield season without any appearances, as Queensland opted to field leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson as their primary spinner.

In response, Kuhnemann made the switch to Tasmania before the 2024/25 season. There, he participated in six Sheffield Shield matches and took 18 wickets, with nine of those coming at his new home ground in Hobart—a venue that poses challenges for spinners.

This strong performance led the Australian selectors to include Kuhnemann in the squad for the two-match tour of Sri Lanka, where he will join Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, and Corey Rocchiccioli in the spin department.

“I made some sacrifices moving to Tasmania, and I’m very thankful to them for the opportunity. It’s funny how cricket works; if you’d told me a few years ago that I would be in Tasmania and then going on an Australian tour to Sri Lanka, I would have been thrilled,” Kuhnemann told The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday.

He mentioned that he plans to draw on his experiences from playing in India to prepare for the Sri Lanka tour. Kuhnemann expressed confidence that he and fellow left-arm spinner Connolly could coexist in the same playing XI at Galle.

“We bring different styles of bowling—while we’re both left-arm orthodox bowlers, I’ve adapted my approach a bit. There are many technical aspects I learned from my first trip to India, but more than that, it’s about handling the pressure of the crowd and expectations off the field,” he explained.

“The key is to stick to my role and avoid overcompensation. Some conditions will favor us, so I need to be as accurate as possible. I’m really pleased with how the ball’s coming out and my overall game,” he said.

Eshan Malinga’s sensational bowling performance has captured attention, as he played a key role in Sri Lanka’s dominant 140-run victory over New Zealand in the 3rd ODI. The 23-year-old seamer, who was recently signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for INR 1.20 crore at the IPL 2025 auction, dismantled the New Zealand batting lineup with a fiery spell, claiming three wickets and leaving the hosts reeling early in their innings.

Malinga, now touted as SRH’s new death-bowling weapon, delivered a remarkable spell of 7 overs, 1 maiden, 35 runs, and 3 wickets at an economy of 5.00. Supported by Asitha Fernando and spinner Maheesh Theekshana, he led a devastating performance with the ball. His 3-26 spell, marked by pace and precision, tore through New Zealand’s top order, reducing them to 21-5 within seven overs. The trio accounted for nine of the ten wickets, with Fernando and Theekshana also taking three wickets apiece.

New Zealand’s chase of Sri Lanka’s 290-8 never gained momentum after the top-order collapse. The home side eventually folded for 150 runs in just 29.4 overs, with only Mark Chapman offering resistance. Chapman played a valiant knock of 81 runs off 81 balls, but his effort wasn’t enough to rescue his team. Chapman’s dismissal, bowled by Theekshana, sealed New Zealand’s fate.

Earlier, Sri Lanka displayed a vastly improved batting performance, led by opener Pathum Nissanka. Despite retiring hurt on 50 after an apparent hip injury, Nissanka returned later to add 16 more runs to his tally, finishing with an explosive 66 off 42 balls. His innings included six boundaries and five sixes, setting the tone for a strong start.

Contributions from Kusal Mendis (54 off 48) and Janith Liyanage (53 off 52) further bolstered Sri Lanka’s innings. Their efforts ensured a challenging total for New Zealand, despite the hosts’ Matt Henry continuing his fine series with 4-55. Henry also reached a personal milestone of 150 ODI wickets during the game, while captain Mitchell Santner chipped in with 2-55.

Having suffered heavy defeats in the first two matches, Sri Lanka’s emphatic performance in the final game salvaged a lone victory in the three-match series. The win highlighted the team’s potential, with Malinga’s heroics providing a glimpse of their future prospects in the fast-bowling department.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers ensured the match ended in style, securing a morale-boosting triumph as they head towards their next cricketing challenge.