The International League T20 (ILT20) will mark a milestone this year with its inaugural player auction, scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, 2025, in Dubai. All six franchises will assemble to finalise their squads for the upcoming season after announcing retentions earlier in July.Each team will enter the auction with a minimum purse of USD 800,000 (over ₹7 crore) , carried forward from the USD 1.2 million available for direct signings and retentions. By the end of the process, franchises must spend no less than USD 1.5 million (about ₹13 crore) and no more than USD 2 million (about ₹17 crore), with the option of adding up to two Wildcard signings for a further USD 250,000 (₹2.2 crore) outside the auction.Squad composition has to be between 19 and 21 players (excluding Wildcards), including at least 11 from Full Member nations. Each side must also include four UAE cricketers, one each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and two from other ICC Associate nations.
The ILT20 player auction is set to create history as the league’s first-ever
Player registrations, completed between July and September, have set base prices at USD 10,000, USD 40,000 or USD 80,000. Injured players, those unavailable due to international duty or without NOCs can be replaced at any stage until the end of the league phase, with replacements not restricted to the auction pool.The auction will be conducted in sets, starting with players from Full Member countries. These sets will be divided by specialisation and status, with capped and uncapped players possibly separated, along with marquee groups. Once the initial rounds are complete, unsold players could return for accelerated bidding if teams have space left in their squads.Franchises will also be allowed to use one Right-to-Match card, but only for UAE players who featured in their development squads or turned out for them in Season 3. This option can be exercised once per team.
Poll
Which feature of the auction do you find most interesting?
Fans will be able to follow the auction live on ZEE5 and the league’s official YouTube channel. The fourth season of the tournament begins on UAE National Day, December 2, with the final being played on January 4, 2026.
Main auction rules
- Minimum purse of USD 800,000 available at the auction from the retention pool
- Total spend must be between USD 1.5 million and USD 2 million by the end
- Up to two Wildcard signings allowed outside the auction for an extra USD 250,000
- Squads of 19 to 21 players (excluding Wildcards)
- At least 11 players required from Full Member nations
- Four players from the UAE mandatory
- One player each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia required
- Two players must come from other ICC Associate nations
