ILT20 2026 · Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are the Abu Dhabi team in the International League T20 (ILT20), owned by the Knight Riders Group, which also runs Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. They finished third last season. Here you'll find the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders squad for ILT20 2026, their fixtures and results, their place in the points table, the team's owner and staff, and the latest Abu Dhabi Knight Riders news.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' Next Match
The Knight Riders' Season 5 fixtures have not been announced yet. ILT20 2026 starts on Saturday 21 November; the next match, start time and live score will appear here automatically.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Squad 2026
All squadsAbu Dhabi Knight Riders have 22 players for ILT20 2026: four pre-signed before the auction, including Sunil Narine and Jason Holder, and 18 bought at the Season 5 auction in Dubai on 1 October. UAE batter Alishan Sharafu was their biggest buy at $110,000, and Moeen Ali, Arab Gul and Usman Tariq cost $80,000 each.
Biggest buys
Pre-signed before the auction: Finn Allen, Jason Holder, Matthew Tromp, Sunil Narine.
Batters6
- Finn AllenPre-signedFull Member
- Alishan SharafuUAE$110,000
- Andre FletcherFull Member$40,000
- Colin MunroFull Member$40,000
- Abdul Mannan AliSaudi Arabia$10,000
- Ravija SandaruwanKuwait$10,000
Wicketkeepers2
- Michael PepperFull Member$40,000
- Lorcan TuckerIreland$10,000
All-rounders7
- Jason HolderPre-signedFull Member
- Matthew TrompPre-signedAssociate
- Sunil NarinePre-signedFull Member
- Amshi De SilvaAssociate$100,000
- Moeen AliFull Member$80,000
- Gulbadin NaibAfghanistan$75,000
- Abdullah TarakhailAfghanistan$10,000
Bowlers7
- Muhammad RohidUAE$95,000
- Arab GulAfghanistan$80,000
- Usman TariqFull Member$80,000
- Ibrar AhmadUAE$46,000
- Ajay KumarUAE$40,000
- Qais AhmadAfghanistan$38,000
- Jakeem PollardFull Member$10,000
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Fixtures and Results 2026
Full scheduleAbu Dhabi Knight Riders' 2026 fixtures have not been released yet. When the league publishes the schedule, every Knight Riders match appears here automatically with start times for the UAE, India, Pakistan and the UK, and each result is added after the game.
Last season's playoffs, Fri 2 Jan 2026: the Knight Riders lost Qualifier 2 to MI Emirates by 7 wickets in Sharjah, a day after beating Dubai Capitals by 50 runs in the Eliminator.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 Points Table
Full table| # | Team | P | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Abu Dhabi Knight RidersAbu Dhabi KR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders finished fourth in the 2025-26 league table with 8 points from 10 matches, winning four and losing six, with a net run rate of −0.559. They beat Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator before losing Qualifier 2 to MI Emirates.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Captain and Coach
The Knight Riders have not yet named their captain or head coach for ILT20 2026; both are added here when the team confirms them. Ryan ten Doeschate has been appointed head of cricket strategy at Knight Riders Sports, the group behind the team.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Owner
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are owned by the Knight Riders Group, a partnership between Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment and the Mehta Group that also owns Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. The team has played in every ILT20 season since the first in 2023. See who owns all six ILT20 teams.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Season by Season
| Season | Finish | How it ended |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 · 2023 | 6th | Did not reach the playoffs |
| Season 2 · 2024 | 4th | Reached the playoffs |
| Season 3 · 2025 | 6th | Did not reach the playoffs |
| Season 4 · 2025-26 | 3rd | Won the Eliminator, then lost Qualifier 2 to MI Emirates |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Other ILT20 Teams
Each fixture, result and head-to-head record is added automatically once the 2026 schedule is out.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers2026 fixture to be announced
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai CapitalsLast met in the 2025-26 Eliminator: Knight Riders won by 50 runs
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf Giants2026 fixture to be announced
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI EmiratesLast met in 2025-26 Qualifier 2: MI Emirates won by 7 wickets
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriorz2026 fixture to be announcedLatest Abu Dhabi Knight Riders News
All newsAbu Dhabi Knight Riders Questions
Who owns Abu Dhabi Knight Riders?
The Knight Riders Group, a partnership between Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment and the Mehta Group that also owns Kolkata Knight Riders.
Who is the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders captain for ILT20 2026?
The Knight Riders have not named their Season 5 captain yet. It will be added here as soon as the team confirms it.
Have Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the ILT20?
Not yet. Their best finish is third, in 2025-26, when they won the Eliminator and reached Qualifier 2.
Is Sunil Narine playing for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in 2026?
Yes. Sunil Narine is one of four players the Knight Riders pre-signed before the auction, with Jason Holder, Finn Allen and Matthew Tromp.
Who did Abu Dhabi Knight Riders buy at the 2026 auction?
18 players, led by UAE batter Alishan Sharafu at $110,000. Moeen Ali, Arab Gul and Usman Tariq cost $80,000 each.