Key points
- Five Pakistan players are in ILT20 2026 squads: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan at Desert Vipers, and Usman Tariq at Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
- All five were bought at the auction in Dubai on 1 October 2026 for $80,000 each, $400,000 in all.
- The other four teams, including MI Emirates, have no Pakistan players this season.
- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet announced its release of the players for Season 5, which runs from 21 November to 20 December 2026.
Five Pakistan players will play in ILT20 2026, and four of them are at Desert Vipers, the defending champions. Facts last checked on 12 October 2026.
Pakistani players in ILT20 2026: the full list
| Player | 2026 team | Earlier ILT20 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Babar AzamBatter |  Desert Vipers | None, his first season | $80,000 |
 Fakhar ZamanOpening batter | Desert Vipers | Desert Vipers, 2025 and 2025-26 | $80,000 |
 Naseem ShahFast bowler | Desert Vipers | Desert Vipers, 2025-26 | $80,000 |
 Shadab KhanAll-rounder | Desert Vipers | Desert Vipers, 2024 | $80,000 |
 Usman TariqOff-spinner |  Abu Dhabi Knight RidersAbu Dhabi KR | Desert Vipers, 2025-26 | $80,000 |
Usman Tariq has moved from the Vipers to Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who play the Vipers on 2 December in Abu Dhabi and on 12 December in Dubai. All five have played for Pakistan.
Pakistani players by team
| Team | Pakistan players in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Desert Vipers | 4: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan |
| Abu Dhabi Knight RidersAbu Dhabi KR | 1: Usman Tariq |
 Dubai Capitals | None |
 Gulf Giants | None |
 MI Emirates | None |
 Sharjah Warriorz | None |
Desert Vipers have had the most Pakistan players in every season since 2024. See every player on the ILT20 2026 squads page.
How they were bought at the auction
All five were bought at the Season 5 auction at the ICC Academy in Dubai on 1 October 2026. Desert Vipers paid $80,000 each for Babar, Fakhar, Naseem and Shadab, $320,000 in all. ESPNcricinfo reported that no other team bid for Babar, Fakhar or Naseem. Usman Tariq went unsold at first, then Abu Dhabi Knight Riders bought him for $80,000 in the accelerated rounds, a quick final stage for unsold players. None of the five was pre-signed or kept with a right to match (RTM) card.
Babar was the biggest name. Read our report on Babar Azam joining Desert Vipers and why the Vipers made him a top target. The ILT20 2026 auction results page has every player sold.
Geo News reported that 17 Pakistan players were in the auction pool, including Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub. Only five were bought. Hassan Nawaz, who played 12 matches for the Vipers last season, drew no bids at $40,000, and Wisden reported that Hasan Ali was also unsold.
ESPNcricinfo noted that the Vipers are owned by the American Avram Glazer, while the other five teams have Indian owners. Our ILT20 team owners guide explains who owns each team.
Will the PCB release them?
Pakistan players need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the PCB to play in overseas leagues. As of 12 October 2026, the PCB has not announced NOCs for ILT20 Season 5.
The only clash with Pakistan’s international matches is on the first day. Pakistan play their second Test against Sri Lanka in Lahore from 17 to 21 November. The ILT20 starts on Saturday 21 November with Desert Vipers against MI Emirates at Dubai International Stadium, at 6:30pm UAE time (7:30pm in Pakistan). Pakistan have not named their Test squad yet, so any Vipers player picked for it could miss the opener. No Pakistan international matches have been announced for December. See where to watch ILT20 in Pakistan.
Last season the PCB put all overseas league NOCs on hold at the end of September 2025. In November it cleared Fakhar, Naseem and Hassan Nawaz for the whole ILT20 season. National duty can still cut a stint short: Babar left the Sydney Sixers during the Big Bash finals in January 2026 to join a Pakistan camp.
Pakistani players in earlier ILT20 seasons
No Pakistan player took part in the first season in 2023, because the PCB refused to release its players. Azam Khan, signed by Desert Vipers, was not given an NOC. In 2024 the PCB cleared Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan and Mohammad Amir for the Vipers and Imad Wasim for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Here is every Pakistan player’s ILT20 record, with his matches (M), runs and wickets (Wkts). A dash means he never batted (Runs) or never bowled (Wkts).
| Player | M | Runs | Wkts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fakhar ZamanDesert Vipers, 2025 and 2025-26 | 21 | 482 | 0 |
 Mohammad AmirDesert Vipers, 2024 and 2025 | 20 | 5 | 26 |
| Azam KhanDesert Vipers, 2024 and 2025 | 17 | 242 | – |
| Hassan NawazDesert Vipers, 2025-26 | 12 | 124 | – |
 Imad WasimAbu Dhabi Knight Riders, 2024 | 10 | 56 | 11 |
| Naseem ShahDesert Vipers, 2025-26 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Usman KhanGulf Giants, 2024. Played as a UAE player | 8 | 164 | – |
 Shaheen Shah AfridiDesert Vipers, 2024 | 5 | 46 | 6 |
| Shadab KhanDesert Vipers, 2024 | 3 | 22 | 0 |
| Usman TariqDesert Vipers, 2025-26 | 2 | – | 5 |
Desert Vipers won their first title in 2025-26 with four Pakistan players. Fakhar made 69 off 50 balls when they beat MI Emirates in Qualifier 1, and Usman Tariq, signed for the play-offs to replace the injured Lockie Ferguson, took 3 for 33. In the final on 4 January 2026, Naseem took 3 for 18 and Tariq 2 for 20 as the Vipers beat MI Emirates by 46 runs.
Usman Khan played for Gulf Giants in 2024 as a UAE player. He then chose to play for Pakistan, and the Emirates Cricket Board banned him for five years, which keeps him out of the ILT20.
Born in Pakistan, playing for other countries
Several players in 2026 squads were born in Pakistan but play for other countries, so they do not count as Pakistan players:
- UAE: batter Muhammad Waseem (MI Emirates) was born in Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo also lists Pakistan birthplaces for Zahoor Khan (MI Emirates), Junaid Siddique (Sharjah Warriorz), Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (Desert Vipers), Muhammad Arfan and Haider Ali (Dubai Capitals), and Ibrar Ahmad (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders).
- Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (Sharjah Warriorz) was born in Sialkot.
- USA: Hassan Khan (Dubai Capitals) was born in Karachi and captained Pakistan at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. He made his one-day international debut for the USA against the UAE on 11 October 2026.
Two names cause mix-ups. Dubai Capitals’ Haider Ali is a UAE all-rounder, not the Pakistan batter of the same name, and MI Emirates’ Wasim Akram is a UAE bowler, not the former Pakistan captain. UAE players count towards the places every squad keeps for UAE cricketers, as our guide to the ILT20 and its rules explains.
Pakistani and Indian players compared
Pakistan have five players in ILT20 2026, while no Indian national is in a Season 5 squad. The BCCI lets only players who have retired from all Indian cricket join overseas leagues, as our guide to Indian players in ILT20 explains.
Pakistani players in ILT20: questions
Which Pakistani players are playing in ILT20 2026?
Five: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan at Desert Vipers, and Usman Tariq at Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
Is Babar Azam playing in ILT20 2026?
He is in the Desert Vipers squad. The Vipers bought him for $80,000, his base price, on 1 October 2026, and it will be his first ILT20 season. The PCB has not yet announced NOCs for Season 5. Read our report on his signing.
Which team has the most Pakistani players?
Desert Vipers, with four. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have one, Usman Tariq, and the other four teams have none.
Does MI Emirates have any Pakistani players?
No. MI Emirates did not sign a Pakistan player for 2026.
Which Pakistani players went unsold at the ILT20 2026 auction?
Hassan Nawaz drew no bids at $40,000, and Wisden reported that Hasan Ali was also unsold.
Who were the first Pakistan players to play in ILT20?
Mohammad Amir of Desert Vipers and Imad Wasim of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who played against each other on 21 January 2024. Usman Khan had played two days earlier, but as a UAE player.
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