ILT20 2026 · Defending champions
Desert Vipers
Desert Vipers are a UAE-based franchise in the International League T20 (ILT20) and the defending champions, having won Season 4 in January 2026. Here you'll find the Desert Vipers squad for ILT20 2026, their fixtures and results, their place in the points table, the team's owner and staff, and the latest Desert Vipers news.
Desert Vipers' Next Match
The Vipers' 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.
Desert Vipers Squad 2026
All squadsDesert Vipers have 22 players for ILT20 2026: four pre-signed before the auction and 18 bought at the Season 5 auction in Dubai on 1 October. Babar Azam leads the new arrivals, David Payne was the most expensive buy at $150,000, and the team says ten players from its Season 4 title-winning squad are back.
Biggest buys
Pre-signed before the auction: Andries Gous, Dan Lawrence, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Shimron Hetmyer.
Batters7
- Dan LawrencePre-signedFull Member
- Shimron HetmyerPre-signedFull Member
- Babar AzamFull Member$80,000
- Fakhar ZamanFull Member$80,000
- Aneurin DonaldFull Member$40,000
- Harry TectorIreland$12,000
- Bilal TahirKuwait$10,000
Wicketkeepers3
- Andries GousPre-signedAssociate
- Vriitya AravindUAE$70,000
- Joe ClarkeFull Member$40,000
All-rounders5
- Shadab KhanFull Member$80,000
- Nangeyalia KharoteAfghanistan$28,000
- Sanjay PahalUAE$22,000
- Nilansh KeswaniUAE$10,000
- Wali MuhammadUAE$10,000
Bowlers7
- Mujeeb Ur RahmanPre-signedAfghanistan
- David PayneFull Member$150,000
- Naseem ShahFull Member$80,000
- Khuzaima Bin TanveerUAE$75,000
- Abdullah AhmadzaiAfghanistan$40,000
- Ishtiaq AhmedSaudi Arabia$12,000
- Saleem SafiAfghanistan$10,000
Desert Vipers Fixtures and Results 2026
Full scheduleDesert Vipers' 2026 fixtures have not been released yet. When the league publishes the schedule, every Vipers 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 final, Sun 4 Jan 2026: Desert Vipers 182/4 beat MI Emirates 136 by 46 runs at Dubai International Stadium.
Desert Vipers in the ILT20 Points Table
Full table| # | Team | P | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Desert Vipers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Desert Vipers topped the 2025-26 table with 16 points from 10 matches, winning eight and losing two, with a net run rate of +0.438. They then beat MI Emirates in Qualifier 1 and again in the final.
Desert Vipers Captain and Coach
The Vipers have not yet named their captain or head coach for ILT20 2026. Director of cricket Tom Moody, involved since Season 1, is staying on for Season 5, chief executive Phil Oliver confirmed in January. Shadab Khan captained the Vipers at the 2026 Global Super League in Guyana, which is a separate competition.
Desert Vipers Owner
Desert Vipers are owned by Lancer Capital, the investment company of American businessman Avram Glazer, whose family owns Manchester United. Lancer Capital bought the franchise when the league was set up in 2022, and the Vipers have played in every season since the first in 2023. See who owns all six ILT20 teams.
Desert Vipers Season by Season
| Season | Finish | How it ended |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 · 2023 | Runners-up | Lost the final to Gulf Giants by 7 wickets |
| Season 2 · 2024 | 5th | Did not reach the playoffs |
| Season 3 · 2025 | Runners-up | Lost the final to Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets |
| Season 4 · 2025-26 | Champions | Beat MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final |
Desert Vipers vs Other ILT20 Teams
Each fixture, result and head-to-head record is added automatically once the 2026 schedule is out.
Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders2026 fixture to be announced
Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals2026 fixture to be announced
Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants2026 fixture to be announced
Desert Vipers vs MI EmiratesLast met in the 2025-26 final: Vipers won by 46 runs
Desert Vipers vs Sharjah Warriorz2026 fixture to be announcedLatest Desert Vipers News
All newsDesert Vipers Questions
Who owns Desert Vipers?
Lancer Capital, the investment company of American businessman Avram Glazer, whose family owns Manchester United.
Who is the Desert Vipers captain for ILT20 2026?
The Vipers have not named their Season 5 captain yet. It will be added to this page as soon as the team confirms it.
Have Desert Vipers won the ILT20?
Yes. Desert Vipers won Season 4 (2025-26), beating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final. They were also runners-up in 2023 and 2025.
Which players did Desert Vipers buy at the 2026 auction?
18 players, led by Babar Azam ($80,000). David Payne was the most expensive at $150,000, and Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan cost $80,000 each.
When is the next Desert Vipers match?
Their Season 5 fixtures have not been announced yet. ILT20 2026 starts on Saturday 21 November.