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The International League T20 (ILT20) is all set to return for its fourth season, but this time with a new schedule.
The UAE’s flagship franchise T20 league will now be held from December 2, 2025, to January 4, 2026, moving away from its traditional January-February slot to avoid scheduling clashes and to wrap up well ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, slated for February-March 2026.
This shift means ILT20 Season 4 will open on December 2, which is also the UAE’s National Day (Eid-al-Etihad), something the organisers are proud to celebrate alongside the tournament launch.
In past seasons, ILT20 ran parallel to several major leagues, including South Africa’s SA20, Australia’s BBL, Bangladesh’s BPL, and, until 2024, Pakistan’s PSL.
The new window aims to ease that congestion and allow a broader pool of international players to participate.
ILT20 CEO David White explained the rationale behind the revised schedule.
“Following extensive discussions with all our stakeholders, we believe the 2 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 tournament window is ideal,” he said.
“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins in early February, so it was important for us to start and finish Season 4 well before that, allowing players enough time to prepare for national duty.”
It’s still unclear whether this change is a one-off or the start of a permanent shift in the ILT20 calendar.
Meanwhile, ILT20 chairman and Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni highlighted the emotional significance of aligning the tournament’s start with the UAE National Day.
“The UAE is home to people from around the world, including millions of diehard cricket fans. It’s a real honour for us to kick off the region’s biggest T20 league on the same day as the UAE National Day 2025,” he stated.
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