The DP World International League T20 will return on 2 December, with the new season opening on UAE National Day. Ahead of the first ball, organisers have confirmed a refreshed commentary team that brings a mix of familiar names and first-time voices.
Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Kaif and Andy Flower are the main additions for Season 4. Malik steps into the booth for the first time, while Kaif and Flower add further depth to a panel already full of experience. Flower led Gulf Giants to the inaugural ILT20 title and knows the league as well as any coach who has worked in the UAE.
They join a large group that includes Ian Bishop (left) and Wasim Akram (right)
They join a large group that includes Simon Doull, Wasim Akram, Rohan Gavaskar, Ian Bishop, Alan Wilkins, Waqar Younis, Daren Ganga, Owais Shah, Mike Haysman, Urooj Mumtaz, Anjum Chopra, Nikhil Chopra, Vivek Razdan, Saba Karim, Ajay Mehra and Reema Malhotra.
Coverage this year will be presented by Laura McGoldrick, Grace Hayden, Arjun Pandit and Ridhima Pathak.
Several of the commentators reflected on their return.
Akram said he was glad to be back in a country where he has spent “many special moments” across his career.
Malik called the UAE “perfect for cricket in December,” pointing to the crowds and conditions.
Flower noted the growing influence of local players and the wider pool of talent now arriving from neighbouring countries.
Bishop said the league has played a clear role in pushing the game forward in the region.
Season 4 runs from 2 December to 4 January, across 34 matches and six teams. Many of the tournament’s established names will feature again, including Phil Salt, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, and Sam Curran, Naseem Shah and Shimron Hetmyer for the Desert Vipers.
Dubai Capitals’ squad includes Rovman Powell, Mustafizur Rahman and Jordan Cox. Gulf Giants will again look to Moeen Ali, Pathum Nissanka and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
MI Emirates bring Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Fletcher, while Sharjah Warriorz have Tim David, Dinesh Karthik, Sikandar Raza, Johnson Charles and Adil Rashid.
The league’s fourth season arrives with the usual mix of international stars and a growing group of UAE players now contributing more each year. The tournament begins on a national holiday and ends early in the new year — a window that has quickly become part of the UAE’s cricket calendar.
