The Desert Vipers have announced a list of seven retained players and one direct signing for the fourth edition of the UAE’s DP World ILT20 tournament. 

Captain Lockie Ferguson leads the roster of returning players, which also includes all-rounder Sam Curran and Sri Lanka’s spin maestro Wanindu Hasaranga, an ever-present for the Vipers across the history of the tournament. 

The list is as follows:

• Retained players:

Lockie Ferguson (ENG)

Wanindu Hasaranga (SL)

Sam Curran (ENG)

Max Holden (ENG)

Dan Lawrence (ENG)

David Payne (ENG)

Khuzaima bin Tanveer (UAE)

• Direct Signing:

Andries Gous (USA)

Director of Cricket Tom Moody welcomed the retained players on behalf of the Desert Vipers but also made it clear that although no Pakistani players featured in that retained list, they were certainly a part of the team’s wider strategy.

Speaking about how the retained players were selected, the Director of Cricket said it was not easy to pick and choose: “We have built a long association with a core group in the first three years of the ILT20 and, we pride ourselves on trying to have that continuity and consistency with our playing group, but to be restricted to eight players was a challenge.” (Newswire)

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Eight more Sri Lankan cricketers have been signed for the UAE’s International League T20 (ILT20), ahead of the second edition which is set to begin on 13th January 2024.

Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka, Nuwan Thushara, and Sadheera Samarawickrama have been signed by Dubai Capitals.

Kusal Perera and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth have been signed by MI Emirates.

Sri Lankan cricketers Dilshan Madushanka, Kusal Mendis, and Maheesh Theekshana have been signed by Sharjah Warriors.

Earlier, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Chandimal and Matheesha Pathirana had been retained by Desert Vipers.

Charith Asalanka was retained by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Dushmantha Chameera was pre-signed by Dubai Capitals. 

All together, 13 Sri Lankan cricketers are set to feature in the UAE’s ILT20 which will kick off in January next year. (NewsWire)

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The DP World International League T20 (ILT20) Season 2 is all set to provide enthralling cricket action for a second successive season with the six participating franchises confirming a star-studded retention list.

International T20 stars Alex Hales (Desert Vipers), James Vince (Gulf Giants), Nicholas Pooran (MI Emirates), Andre Russell (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Kieron Pollard (MI Emirates), Wanindu Hasaranga (Desert Vipers), Chris Woakes (Sharjah Warriors), Sikandar Raza (Dubai Capitals) and UAE captain and last year’s Blue Belt winner (Best UAE Player) Mohammad Waseem (MI Emirates) have all been retained by their respective franchises for Season 2 which begins in the second week of January 2024.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have retained their ICC T20 World Cup 2012 and 2016 winner, the T20 mega star Andre Russell and last year’s captain, the prolific spinner Sunil Narine – ICC T20 World Cup 2012 winner. Sabir Ali and Matiullah Khan are their UAE retentions.

Last year’s finalists Desert Vipers have retained the inaugural season’s top-scorer and Green Belt winner Alex Hales. Captain Colin Munro, Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and Sherfane Rutherford are also part of Desert Vipers’ retention list.

Dubai Capitals have retained Rovman Powell, the West Indian who captained the side in the early stages of Season 1. England stalwart Joe Root and Sri Lanka fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera have also been retained. Zimbabwe’s star performer Sikandar Raza is also on the retention list. Fast bowler Raja Akif is the UAE player retained by the Capitals.

Champions Gulf Giants have retained the core of their triumphant squad which is spearheaded by captain James Vince. White Belt winner (Best Bowler of the Tournament) Chris Jordan, Australia big-hitter Chris Lynn, Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite (both West Indies) have been retained. UAE’s high performing youngsters Aayan Afzal Khan and Sanchit Sharma are also on Giants’ retention list.

MI Emirates retention list is led by Kieron Pollard. The West Indian T20 great, captained the side to the play-offs in the inaugural season. The highest T20 wicket-taker Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran and Trent Boult have all been retained. Waseem who set Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah ablaze with his sensational batting in the inaugural season is the UAE player on the retention list alongside fast bowler Zahoor Khan.

Sharjah Warriors have retained England bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes alongside their big-hitting batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore who scored a match-winning century (106 off 47 balls, 10 fours, six sixes) for the Sharjah Warriors against the Dubai Capitals in Dubai. Pacers Junaid Siddique and Mohammad Jawadullah are their retained UAE players.

There was no restriction on the number of retentions for international players while the franchises could only retain a maximum of two UAE players.

Meanwhile, the maximum total salary cap for Season 2 will be US $ 2.5 million with a minimum spend of US $ 1.5 million. New player signing window commences today.

Full list of the players retained for DP World ILT20 Season 2:

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange and Matiullah Khan.

Desert Vipers: Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Dubai Capitals: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell and Sikandar Raza.

Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma and Shimron Hetmyer.

MI Emirates: Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed and Zahoor Khan.

Sharjah Warriors: Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore. 

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