The first edition of the ILT20 League is up and running in the UAE. A lot of cricket is being played in the UAE and finally, the country has its own premier T20 franchise league. UAE is said to be one of the favourite destinations of the players and some of the biggest names are making their presence known in the tournament.
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The inauguration ceremony of the tournament was held yesterday where rapper Badshah and DJ Bravo gave some brilliant performances. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders lost the opening game against the Dubai Capitals. Shah Rukh Khan was also in the stands to watch his team play, but luck was not on their side.
A total of 30 matches will be played in the tournament where the top 4 teams will qualify for the playoffs. The same IPL kind of format will be applied in the playoffs of the tournament. The final of the tournament will take place on 12th February at Dubai’s Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
ALSO READ: Full Squads of ILT20 League
Looking at the brilliant financial package offered in the tournament, the players left the Big Bash League in between to take part here. The tournament length and monetization have certainly excited a lot of players around the globe. However, the records of the tournament will not be counted in the overall T20 stats of the players.
ILT20 teams owners
The IPL owners are taking over the leagues around the globe, and three of the six teams in the tournament are owned by the IPL franchises only. Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and MI Emirates are owned by the IPL franchises. Indian billionaire Gautam Adani also has a team in the tournament named Gulf Giants.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla [Red Chillies Entertainment and Mehta Group]
Dubai Capitals: Parth Jindal and Kiran Kumar Gandhi [GMR Group and JSW Group]
MI Emirates: Mukesh Ambani [Reliance Industries]
Sharjah Warriors: Capri Global
Desert Vipers: Lancer Capital
Gulf Giants: Gautam Adani (Adani Sportsline)
