Pakistani players registered for ILT20 2027 auction

Pakistan’s Test captain, Babar Azam, has reportedly put his name in the auction for the upcoming 2027 season of the International League T20 (ILT20). This has opened the door to his very first appearance in the UAE’s T20 franchise tournament. The season is scheduled to begin on November 21 and run through to December 30 across Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.

In the previous editions of the competition, the six teams to face each other were Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriorz. The auction will vital for all these teams to balance the strength and weakness of the sides.

Pakistani cricketers who have registered for the upcoming ILT20 player pool

Babar returned to be part of the overseas T20 events last year, when he played for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025/26. This is not the first time he has connected himself with the ILLT20 stint. During the 2023 edition, he came close to getting lined up with many sides, but the deal finally fell apart.

He turned down the contract worth roughly half a million dollars during the 2024 season across January and February. There were even discussions of the Pakistan star being wanted as a brand ambassador of the tournament. But the batter opted to prioritise the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) instead of the ILT20 chances.

Apart from Babar, the five other players to be part of the auction for the ILT20 2027 are Usman Tariq, Naseem Shah, Maaz Sadaqat, Fakhar Zaman, and Sahibzada Farhan. The mystery spinner Tariq has done well recently for the national side along with Farhan, who is expected to become the leader of their T20I side in the future.

ILT20 2027 (Season 5) auction takes place in Dubai in October

The IT20 2027 auction will be held in Dubai on October 01 at the IC Academy indoor facility. More than 800 players from the 20 teams have put their names in the auction, with the organizers shortlisting 200 players. Each side will have a purse of ISD 1300000 besides the extra fund of USD 700000 that was available for the direct signings and retentions.

The minimum base price of all players is USD 10000, as the players may also have a base price of USD 40000 or USD 80000. The player registrations were completed between July and September 12. If the player is injured or gets a call-up or doesn’t have an NOC, they may be replaced at any time.

Each franchise will have four Rights to Match cards to use during the auction for a full member side (including Afghanistan and Ireland), an Associate member player, one UAE player, and one Kuwait or Saudi player.