The DP World ILT20’s commitment to growing the game across the region is bearing fruit beyond the UAE. As Kuwait topped the Sub-Regional Asia A Qualifier for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028 in Malaysia, their players looked back on their time at the DP World ILT20 as tremendous preparation for the international stage.
Bilal Tahir, who showcased his finishing prowess with vital cameos of 16 off 7 balls against Bahrain and 32\* off 16 balls against Qatar, said:
“Winning the title with the Desert Vipers showed me what a championship environment looks like. Seeing how players like Sam Curran, Fakhar Zaman and Lockie Ferguson train and prepare every day raised my own standards, and I have tried to hold myself to that level ever since. I hope many more players from Kuwait get the chance to experience the DP World ILT20, because it can transform a cricketer’s career”.”Winning the title with the Desert Vipers showed me what a championship environment looks like. Seeing how players like Sam Curran, Fakhar Zaman and Lockie Ferguson train and prepare every day raised my own standards, and I have tried to hold myself to that level ever since. I hope many more players from Kuwait get the chance to experience the DP World ILT20, because it can transform a cricketer’s career”.
Mohamed Shafeeq, who became the first player from Kuwait to feature in a DP World ILT20 match when he took the field for MI Emirates last season, said: “Walking out for MI Emirates for the first time was a moment I will never forget, it was special for me and for cricket in Kuwait. Sharing a dressing room with players like Kieron Pollard and Shakib Al Hasan, you learn how much thought goes into every situation in a T20 game, and that changes the way you approach your own cricket.
I have tried to bring that understanding back to the Kuwait team and share what I have learned. I am really looking forward to returning to MI Emirates for Season 5 and continuing to learn.”
Notably, two of the Qualifier’s top three wicket-takers were DP World ILT20 Season 4 players: Kuwait’s Mohamed Aslam finished second on the list with 15 wickets in six innings, and Adnan Idrees third with 12 wickets in six innings. Idrees was also named Player of the Tournament.
Kuwait’s presence in the league is set to continue in DP World ILT20 Season 5. Ravija Sandaruwan, the third-highest run-scorer at the Sub-Regional Asia A Qualifier with 176 runs in six innings, will join the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
Sandaruwan said: “I am very excited to be joining the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for DP World ILT20 Season 5. I have seen how much my teammates grew from their time in the league last season, and I want to make the most of the same opportunity.
The Qualifier gave me a lot of confidence with the bat, and I want to carry that form into the season. Playing alongside and against world-class cricketers is the best way to test yourself, and I hope to learn as much as I can and bring that experience back to the Kuwait team.”
Five of his peers will line up alongside him in the league. Bilal Tahir, Meet Bhavsar, Mohamed Shafeeq and Anudeep Chenthamara return with the Desert Vipers, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals respectively, while Arunraj Selvaraj joins the Sharjah Warriorz.
DP World ILT20 Season 5 Squads
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Auction Signings: Alishan Sharafu, Amshi De Silva, Muhammad Rohid, Moeen Ali, Arab Gul, Usman Tariq, Gulbadin Naib, Ibrar Ahmed, Andre Fletcher, Ajay Kumar, Colin Munro, Michael Pepper, Qais Ahmad, Jakeem Pollard, Abdul Mannan Ali, Ravija Sandaruwan, Abdullah Tarakhail, Lorcan Tucker
Pre-Auction Signings: Finn Allen, Jason Holder, Matthew Tromp, Sunil Narine
Desert Vipers
Auction Signings: David Payne, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Vriitya Aravind, Aneurin Donald, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Joe Clarke, Nangeyalia Kharote, Sanjay Pahal, Harry Tector, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Nilansh Keswani, Saleem Safi, Bilal Tahir, Wali Muhammad
Pre-Auction Signings: Andries Gous, Dan Lawrence, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Shimron Hetmyer
Dubai Capitals
Auction Signings: Faf du Plessis, Max Holden, Dasun Shanaka, Aayan Khan, Hassan Khan, Phil Salt, Sediqullah Atal, Mark Adair, Karim Janat, Luke Wood, Tom Moores, Haider Ali, Zuhaib Zubair, Darwish Rasooli, Muhammad Arfan, Matt Potts, Usman Najeeb, Anudeep Chenthamara, Masood Ul Rahman Gurbaz
Pre-Auction Signings: Marcus Stoinis, Mustafizur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rovman Powell
Gulf Giants
Auction Signings: Liam Livingstone, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, David Wiese, Ibrahim Zadran, Tabraiz Shamsi, Curtis Campher, Dhruv Parashar, Matiullah Khan, Haider Razzaq, Imran Mir, Imtiaz Khan, Meet Bhavsar, Shubham Ranjane, Wahidullah Zadran, Awais Ahmed, Sagar Kalyan, Alick Athanaze
Pre-Auction Signings: Azmatullah Omarzai, Blessing Muzarabani, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen
MI Emirates
Auction Signings: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Muhammad Waseem, Chris Jordan, Allah Ghazanfar, Lizaad Williams, James Coles, Jonny Bairstow, Kusal Perera, Jordan Thompson, Zahoor Khan, Wasim Akram, Zain Ul Abidin, Mohamed Shafeeq, Asa Tribe, Raizal Nadir Nather Shah, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Ross Adair
Pre-Auction Signings: Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Romario Shepherd, Sherfane Rutherford
Sharjah Warriorz
Auction Signings: Richard Gleeson, Mohammad Nabi, Paul Walter, Adil Rashid, Brandon McMullen, Tom Banton, Craig Overton, George Linde, Ali Aamer Naseer, Fareed Malik, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Logan van Beek, Junaid Siddique, Tanish Suri, Nabeel Aziz, George Dockrell, Mohammad Saqib, Arunraj Selvaraj, James Rew
Pre-Auction Signings: Adam Milne, James Vince, Waqar Salamkheil, Sikandar Raza
