The inaugural season of the UAE-based franchise league, International League Twenty20 (ILT20) has roped in many cricketing stars including Chris Lynn, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer among others. The league is set to begin from January 6, 2023 and the last match will be played on February 12, 2023.
The ILT20 will feature six teams comprising 18 players in the squad with players from India and Pakistan are yet to be involved in the league. Notably, Australian batter Chris Lynn has signed up for ILT20 and is set to miss the Big Bash League.
The ILT20 chairman, Khalid Al Zarooni said, "Over the past weeks, six franchises have started discussions and engaged with players, and players’ agents, to exercise their ‘Direct Acquisition’ rights, and we are extremely delighted to be in a position to announce the first set of players who will compete in the league."
An ILT20 release said, "Some of the biggest names in global T20 cricket from England, the West Indies, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland, as well as from various leading ICC Associate Nations, including USA, Namibia, The Netherlands and Nepal have now signed on. A stunning line-up of the game’s superstars has signed on."
Big names to play in ILT20: Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Dawid Malan, Wanindu Hasiranga, Sunil Narine, Evin Lewis, Colin Munro, Fabian Allen, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Dushmantha Chameera, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Chris Jordan, Tom Banton, Sandeep Lamichhane, Chris Lynn, Rovman Powell, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Other major players include: Lahiru Kumara, Seekugge Prassanna, Charith Asalanka, Colin Ingram, Paul Stirling, Kennar Lewis, Ali Khan, Brandon Glover, Ravi Rampaul, Raymon Reifer, Isuru Udana, Blessing Muzarabani, Niroshan Dickwella, Hazaratullah Zazai, Frederick Klassen, Sikandar Raja, George Munsey, Dan Lawrence, Dominic Drakes, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, David Wiese, Qais Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, James Vince, Noor Ahmed, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Navin Ul Haq, Sherfane Rutherford, Saqib Mahmood, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell and Ruben Trumpelman.