DP World ILT20 Season 4 Player Auction set for October 1 in Dubai
The DP World ILT20 Season 4 Player Auction will take place at 2:00pm GST on Wednesday, 1 October 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Jumeirah Beach, Dubai. This will be the first-ever auction in the league’s history and a major milestone as all six franchises finalize their squads for the new season.
Auction purse and spending rules
- Each franchise will bring a minimum purse of USD 800,000 to the auction, in addition to any unspent amount from their original USD 1.2 million retention and direct signing pool.
- By the end of the auction, each team must have spent at least USD 1.5 million and no more than USD 2 million.
- Teams are allowed an additional USD 250,000 to sign up to two Wildcard players outside the auction.
Squad composition requirements
Each team must assemble a squad of 19 to 21 players (excluding Wildcards) with the following mandatory structure:
- Minimum 11 players from ICC Full Member countries
- 4 players from the UAE
- 1 player from Kuwait
- 1 player from Saudi Arabia
- 2 players from other ICC Associate Nations
Player registration and base price
Players registered for the auction between July and September 2025. Based on franchise interest, a final list of available players will be shared in advance. Base prices for players are set at three tiers:
- USD 10,000
- USD 40,000
- USD 80,000
Replacement players for those injured, unavailable due to international duty, or lacking NOCs can be signed at any point during the league phase — they do not need to be from the original auction list.
Auction format and player sets
Players will be organized into sets based on nationality (Full Member, Associate, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia) and playing role (batters, bowlers, all-rounders, etc.). The DP World ILT20 may also group players by capped/uncapped status and designate marquee sets.
Within each set, players will be drawn at random, and the auctioneer will invite bids starting at the player’s base price. Once all initial sets conclude, franchises with remaining squad spots may request unsold players to re-enter during Accelerated Rounds.
UAE Player Right-to-Match (RTM) option
Each franchise can exercise one Right-to-Match (RTM) for a UAE player who was either in their development squad or featured in DP World ILT20 Season 3. This RTM can only be used once and applies exclusively to UAE nationals.
The ILT20 auction format introduces new dynamics to squad building in franchise cricket, ensuring balanced representation from Full Member and Associate Nations while boosting opportunities for UAE-based talent. Stay tuned for more updates as the auction approaches.
