The league was officially announced by the
Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) in June 2022 as a professional Twenty20 franchise league based in the
United Arab Emirates. The league was initially planned to begin in early 2023, with its first season window announced in June 2022. However, due to scheduling conflicts and organisational preparations, the inaugural edition was later rescheduled and eventually held from 13 January to 12 February 2023. The league was created with the aim of establishing a world-class T20 tournament and positioning the UAE as a major destination on the global cricket calendar. The tournament featured six city-based franchises, several of which were owned by companies that also own teams in other major leagues such as the
Indian Premier League, including ownership links to
Mumbai Indians,
Kolkata Knight Riders, and
Delhi Capitals. The ILT20 adopted a distinctive squad composition policy, allowing teams to field up to nine overseas players in a playing XI, significantly higher than most other franchise leagues. To support domestic cricket development, each team was required to include at least two UAE players in their squad. Although the tournament initially did not have official status because the Emirates Cricket Board is an Associate member of the
International Cricket Council, the ILT20 became the first Associate member–run franchise league to be granted List A status by the ICC in December 2023. As a result, all matches and player statistics are officially recognised. The inaugural season was won by
Gulf Giants, who defeated
Desert Vipers in the final.
2023 (1st edition) 2024 (2nd edition) The second edition of the tournament will kick off on 19 January and end on 17 February. The second ILT20 season was won by
MI Emirates defeated
Dubai Capitals by 45 runs to win the title.
2025 (3rd edition) 2025–26 (4th edition) The fourth season of the
International League T20 (ILT20) began on 2 December 2025, earlier than usual to avoid a clash with the
2026 Men's T20 World Cup in February. The tournament will conclude on 4 January 2026. For the 2025–26 season, the ILT20 adopted a player auction format for the first time, replacing the draft system used in previous years. The auction is scheduled to take place in Dubai on 1 October 2025. Each team had already made retentions and direct signings earlier in the year, and was allowed to spend up to USD 800,000 during the auction, with an overall squad budget ranging from USD 1.5 million to USD 2 million.
Organisation Trophy The ILT20 Trophy was designed and made by London-based silversmiths
Thomas Lyte. Unveiled in October 2022, the trophy's design is intended to reflect the spirit of the league and the heritage and culture of the UAE. The trophy measures 830mm in height, directly proportional to the 830m
Burj Khalifa. The falcon is the UAE’s national bird, and its teardrop shape makes up the trophy’s form, while the seven Emirates that make up the UAE form a seven-pointed crown. Inspired by the shape of the sands of Tel Moreeb, the finial sits on top of the trophy holding a cricket ball. ==Teams==