Fazalhaq Farooqi made history at the ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction in Dubai on Thursday, October 1, becoming the most expensive signing in the tournament’s history. MI Emirates secured the Afghanistan fast bowler with a winning bid of USD 380,000, significantly eclipsing the previous league record of USD 260,000 held by Andre Fletcher and MI Emirates from the previous season. Farooqi’s price eclipsed the previous record of USD 260,000, set by Andre Fletcher and MI Emirates in Season 4.
The auction saw aggressive bidding, with four players surpassing the former record. England all-rounder Liam Livingstone was acquired by the Gulf Giants for USD 350,000, while the Giants also utilized their Right-to-Match (RTM) privilege to retain Rahmanullah Gurbaz for USD 310,000. Additionally, veteran Faf du Plessis secured a contract with the Dubai Capitals for USD 300,000.
Defending champions Desert Vipers focused on strengthening their core by picking up a quartet of Pakistan internationals—Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman, and Shadab Khan—for their base price of USD 80,000 each. While Naseem and Fakhar are returning to the Vipers, Babar Azam is set to make his official debut in the tournament this coming season.
Local UAE talent saw significant investment, led by MI Emirates exercising their RTM option to retain Muhammad Waseem for USD 210,000, making him the highest-paid UAE player in the league’s history. Other notable domestic signings included Alishan Sharafu for USD 110,000 to the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Muhammad Rohid and Aayan Khan were secured by the Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals respectively for USD 95,000 each. Auction Signings: Alishan Sharafu (USD 110,000), Amshi De Silva (USD 100,000), Muhammad Rohid (USD 95,000), Moeen Ali (USD 80,000), Arab Gul (USD 80,000), Usman Tariq (USD 80,000), Gulbadin Naib (USD 75,000), Ibrar Ahmed (USD 46,000), Andre Fletcher (USD 40,000), Ajay Kumar (USD 40,000), Colin Munro (USD 40,000), Michael Pepper (USD 40,000), Qais Ahmad (USD 38,000), Jakeem Pollard (USD 10,000), Abdul Mannan Ali (USD. 10,000), Ravija Sandaruwan (USD 10,000), Abdullah Tarakhail (USD 10,000), Lorcan Tucker (USD 10,000). Retentions & Direct Signings: Finn Allen, Jason Holder, Matthew Tromp, Sunil Narine. Auction Signings: David Payne (USD 150,000), Fakhar Zaman (USD 80,000), Naseem Shah (USD 80,000), Babar Azam (USD 80,000), Shadab Khan (USD 80,000), Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (USD 75,000), Vriitya Aravind (USD 70,000), Aneurin Donald (USD 40,000), Abdullah Ahmadzai (USD 40,000), Joe Clarke (USD 40,000), Nangeyalia Kharote (USD 28,000), Sanjay Pahal (USD 22,000), Harry Tector (USD 12,000), Ishtiaq Ahmed (USD 12,000). Nilansh Keswani (USD 10,000), Saleem Safi (USD 10,000), Bilal Tahir (USD 10,000), Wali Muhammad (USD 10,000).
The auction also highlighted the growing international reach of the league, with several players from Associate nations securing prominent contracts. USA’s Amshi De Silva joined the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for USD 100,000, and teammate Hassan Khan moved to the Dubai Capitals for USD 90,000. Furthermore, Scotland’s Brandon McMullen signed with the Sharjah Warriorz for USD 80,000, while Namibian all-rounder David Wiese joined the Gulf Giants for USD 70,000.
Team spending was substantial, with MI Emirates leading the way with a total expenditure of USD 2,000,000, followed closely by Gulf Giants at USD 1,972,000 and Sharjah Warriorz at USD 1,720,000. Among their other notable acquisitions, MI Emirates signed Chris Jordan for USD 170,000 and retained Allah Ghazanfar for USD 150,000, while Sharjah Warriorz secured Richard Gleeson for USD 180,000 and Mohammad Nabi for USD 140,000.
The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, with a total spend of USD 1,549,000, added players including Moeen Ali for USD 80,000, Gulbadin Naib for USD 75,000, and Arab Gul for USD 80,000. The Desert Vipers maintained a total spend of USD 1,544,000, which also included the signing of David Payne for USD 150,000.
The Dubai Capitals concluded their recruitment with a total expenditure of USD 1,834,000. Their auction haul included Dasun Shanaka and Max Holden, both acquired for USD 100,000 each, alongside several other utility players to build out their roster.
The squad depths were rounded out by a mix of retained stars and new additions. Gulf Giants bolstered their ranks with Alzarri Joseph for USD 230,000 and Shamar Joseph for USD 80,000. Sharjah Warriorz also brought in Paul Walter for USD 110,000 and Adil Rashid for USD 80,000 to balance their squad.
These auction results reflect a strategic shift among the franchises as they look to finalize their lineups for the upcoming campaign. The combination of high-profile international stars, experienced T20 specialists, and developing local talent underscores the competitive nature of the league’s player acquisition strategy.
With the auctions completed, all six franchises have now solidified their primary player pools, integrating fresh faces alongside retained core players ahead of the tournament’s scheduled commencement.
