Key points
- The league released the full Season 5 fixture list on Wednesday 7 October 2026: 34 matches from Saturday 21 November to Sunday 20 December.
- Defending champions Desert Vipers play MI Emirates in the first match at Dubai International Stadium on 21 November at 6:30pm UAE time, a rematch of last season’s final.
- Each team plays 10 league matches. Dubai hosts 15 matches, Abu Dhabi 11 and Sharjah 8.
- The playoffs start on Wednesday 16 December, and the final is in Dubai on Sunday 20 December.
The DP World ILT20 has released the full schedule for Season 5. The 34 matches will be played in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah from Saturday 21 November to Sunday 20 December 2026. Each of the six teams plays the other five twice, 10 league matches in all, before the top four go into the playoffs. The first match is a day earlier than the Sunday 22 November start the league gave earlier in the year.
Vipers and MI Emirates open the season
The season starts with a rematch of last season’s final. Defending champions Desert Vipers play MI Emirates at Dubai International Stadium on Saturday 21 November at 6:30pm UAE time (8:00pm in India, 7:30pm in Pakistan and 2:30pm in the UK). The Vipers beat MI Emirates by 46 runs in the Season 4 final on 4 January 2026 (see the full scorecard), and the two teams meet again in Abu Dhabi on 28 November. See the full Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates head to head.
Sunday 22 November has two matches: Sharjah Warriorz play Gulf Giants in Sharjah at 2:00pm UAE time, and Dubai Capitals play Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Dubai at 6:30pm.
When each team starts
| Team | First match | Date | UAE time | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Vipers | v MI Emirates | Sat 21 Nov | 6:30pm | Dubai |
| MI Emirates | v Desert Vipers | Sat 21 Nov | 6:30pm | Dubai |
| Sharjah Warriorz | v Gulf Giants | Sun 22 Nov | 2:00pm | Sharjah |
| Gulf Giants | v Sharjah Warriorz | Sun 22 Nov | 2:00pm | Sharjah |
| Dubai Capitals | v Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Sun 22 Nov | 6:30pm | Dubai |
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | v Dubai Capitals | Sun 22 Nov | 6:30pm | Dubai |
Double-headers and start times
Most matches start at 6:30pm UAE time, which is 8:00pm in India, 7:30pm in Pakistan and 2:30pm in the UK. Six days have two matches, on 22, 28 and 29 November and 2, 6 and 13 December, and on those days the first match starts at 2:00pm UAE time. One of them is Wednesday 2 December, UAE National Day, when Abu Dhabi Knight Riders play Desert Vipers in Abu Dhabi before Dubai Capitals meet MI Emirates in Dubai.
Dubai International Stadium hosts 15 matches, Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi hosts 11 and Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosts 8. The league stage ends on Monday 14 December, when Abu Dhabi Knight Riders play Dubai Capitals in Abu Dhabi.
ILT20 2026 playoff dates
| Match | Date | Venue | Who plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | Wed 16 Dec | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 1st v 2nd |
| Eliminator | Thu 17 Dec | Dubai International Stadium | 3rd v 4th |
| Qualifier 2 | Fri 18 Dec | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Loser of Qualifier 1 v winner of the Eliminator |
| Final | Sun 20 Dec | Dubai International Stadium | Winner of Qualifier 1 v winner of Qualifier 2 |
All four playoff matches start at 6:30pm UAE time. The winner of Qualifier 1 goes straight to the final, and the loser gets a second chance in Qualifier 2. Read our guide to how the ILT20 playoffs work.
What comes next
The league says details of the opening ceremony and ticket sales will be announced soon. In India, matches will be shown on Zee’s TV channels and the Zee5 app, and broadcasters for other countries have not been named yet. Every fixture, with start times for the UAE, India, Pakistan and the UK, is on our ILT20 2026 schedule, where you can also save all 34 matches to your calendar. For updates, see ILT20 tickets and where to watch ILT20.
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