ILT20 2025 to coincide with BBL, SA20, and BPL
The third edition of International League T20 (ILT20), a six-team tournament held in the UAE, is set to overlap with several other major competitions. These tournaments include Australia's Big Bash League (BBL), Super Smash (New Zealand), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and SA20. As per the released itinerary, the 2025 ILT20 will be held between January 11 and February 9. This scheduling decision creates a potential conflict for many high-profile players who play in multiple leagues.
Scheduling conflicts with other major tournaments
Notably, the SA20 will run from January 9 to February 8, closely following the ILT20's timeline. The BBL will start on December 15 and end on January 27, while the BPL will start on December 30 and end on February 7, 2025. New Zealand's Super Smash competition will run between December 26 and February 2. These overlapping dates could disrupt player participation across different leagues.
ILT20's tournament structure and venue details
The ILT20 will comprise 34 matches, with the final scheduled at the iconic Dubai International Stadium. The matches will be played across three different venues - 15 at the Dubai International Stadium, 11 at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Cricket Stadium, and eight at the Sharjah Stadium. Evening games will start at 6:30pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends. On double-header weekends, afternoon games will start from 2pm.
MI Emirates to enter as defending champions
MI Emirates will enter the season as defending champions. They beat Dubai Capitals by 45 runs in the final to lift the trophy last season. Notably, Gulf Giants were the champions of the inaugural 2023 ILT20 season.
