Fourth season of ILT20 kicks off

The fourth season of the DP World ILT20 begins on Tuesday, December 2, with a clash between the Dubai Capitals and the Desert Vipers at the Dubai International Stadium. This match is a rematch of last season's final, with the Dubai Capitals entering as defending champions.

This edition follows the league's first-ever player auction and includes players from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for the first time.

Ahead of the tournament, captains and star players from all six franchises shared their expectations:

Gulbadin Naib (Dubai Capitals): "We always love this tournament. Last year we won, but we're looking forward to another successful season. We have got some new faces and they are very keen to do something for the team. We know the conditions, so we should be able to adapt."

Lockie Ferguson (Desert Vipers): "It feels like a family. The boys really get along… this year we're looking to do even better. I'm looking forward to working alongside Naseem Shah, David Payne and Khuzaima Tanveer in a well-balanced bowling attack."

Jason Holder (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders): "We all want to win. It's simple for us – we just need to be disciplined and execute our plans. We have a lot of power and depth in our line-up, so the task for us will be to figure out how to put it all together."

Moeen Ali (Gulf Giants): "The quality has gone up… I think what's important is how good our local players are, and we're hoping to get back to competing for the title. As a side, we're going to try and entertain our fans as much as we can."

Kieron Pollard (MI Emirates): "We love the place itself. The UAE is always exciting… We just need to play consistent cricket. We have great UAE players like Muhammad Waseem, Rohid, and Zahoor Khan. The level of competition is very high."

Tim Southee (Sharjah Warriors): "I'm looking forward to the season. The quality of our side and the other teams is amazing… Dinesh Karthik's experience will be a wonderful addition to the team. We're looking to build on what we did in Season 3."