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Habibi, welcome back to Abu Dhabi!&nbsp;With just over three months to go until the first ball is bowled at the fifth edition of the ILT20, here’s the first bit of MI Emirates building up the #BatchOf2026. We begin with the Pre-Auction Signings, and leading the way is our pocket dynamo, Nicholas Pooran, who’s set to repeat the magic of 2024, followed by Afghanistan spin wiz, Rashid Khan. Adding further Caribbean flavour are the power all-rounders in Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford. Having represented the Blue and Gold of the #OneFamily around the globe, these four superstars are all set to light up the desert with their heroics once again!&nbsp; &nbsp;MI Emirates’ Pre-Auction Signings for ILT20 Season 5:<ol><li>Nicholas Pooran</li><li>Rashid Khan</li><li>Romario Shepherd&nbsp;</li><li>Sherfane Rutherford &nbsp;</li></ol>Each team has been allowed a total of four pre-auction signings. The rest of the squad (18 to 23 players) would be made up at the Player Auction, set to be held in Dubai on October 1, 2026. All teamswould be allowed one Wildcard signing post the Auction.Although this marks the end of the Season 4 squad as we know it and it is always sad to see players go, we know there’s a chance for them to come back into the Blue and Gold at the Auction. But goodbyes are always difficult as we convey a heartfelt thank you to the boys who made the Batch of Season 4 a special one!&nbsp;

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MI Emirates’ PRE-AUCTION SIGNINGS for ILT20 Season 5

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Bring out those calendars, pin the dates, bring out that jersey. It’s time to start counting down to the ultimate desert extravaganza, the ILT20 Season 5.&nbsp;The window: 22nd November, 2026 to 20th December, 2026Six teams, 34 matches and a month-long party with the final set to be played at the magnificent Dubai International Stadium. MI Emirates are all set to start afresh and put the heartbreak suffered in the final of the fourth edition behind them. The winners of ILT20 Season 2, we are all set to put on a show for our fans with our star-studded lineup.&nbsp;“We are pleased to confirm the DP World International League T20 Season 5 window. The biggest cricketing spectacle in the Gulf region will be played from Sunday, 22 November to Sunday, 20 December 2026. We are delighted with Season 4’s success. The broadcast numbers, spectators’ interest and the participation of the biggest T20 stars made the tournament a remarkable success as the quality of the league grew further,” said David White, CEO of the DP World ILT20.&nbsp;“The DP World ILT20 continues to make massive strides and our strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation and Kuwait Cricket are already making a big impact. This year, these partnerships will be consolidated further through our development tournaments which will be played in both countries prior to Season 5.“The DP World ILT20 Season 4 Player Auction was a great success as well and we are already gearing up for this year’s auction. There are a number of exciting announcements and initiatives that will be revealed in the coming days.”Fasten those seat belts, the ball has been set into motion. Retentions, Auction, jersey launches, arrivals, trainings, and before you know it, it will be time for the first ball of Season 5!&nbsp;

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** Woohooo ** 22nd Nov to 20th Dec – ILT20 Season 5 is here!

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From excitement to hope to belief to disappointment, the last few hours have been a rollercoaster, but what remains at the end of it all is our pride in this team. The MI Emirates gave it their all, fought with all their might, but fell just short of the final hurdle.&nbsp;“It was pretty good. We started off not so well, but in the last five games we turned it up. We lost in one of the playoffs and then the best game we played was in the second Qualifier. But over here, unfortunately we fielded really badly at the start of the game, which cost us around 25 runs. The par score here was about 175. The wicket was very good. I think it was probably the best wicket we played on in Dubai… There is no excuse here. We lost, we lost. We lost to a better team today,” said Head Coach, Robin Singh.&nbsp;It caps off what has been a month of breakneck cricket in the desert. From a up and down start to the season to getting on a roll, it’s been one that the MIE fam will cherish. Winning games from the jaws of defeat, spinning a web and defending low totals, pulling off some clinical wins, the season had it all.&nbsp;The feeling of being at home and playing for a team you care about is what makes the MI Family special. Robin spoke about the core ethics and culture that make the franchise stand out.&nbsp;“It's about having a really strong foundation. They scout around for players, believe in players, trust players, they look after players, injuries. Not many people know that. They are willing to go that extra mile to support a player. Not many franchises don’t do that. It doesn’t matter if the player is from a different country. As long as you are part of the team, they feel responsible for all these things. This is the sort of culture they have set,” he said.&nbsp;“Apart from that they have the facilities to practice. They are always in touch with players who play for us. They are in touch with players who play in different franchises. It is all about the environment in sport. You want to play for a very good environment in sport. If the environment is good, it is easy to perform when things are taken care of. Everything is looked after.”That would be it then for season four. Some wonderful memories, some heartbreaks. But a fight to be proud of throughout.&nbsp;This is MI Family. This is MI Team. This is MI Pride. We are MI Emirates.&nbsp;

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MI Family, MI Team, MI Pride, MI Emirates 

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This is not how it was supposed to end. This is not what we had manifested. But what a wonderful season this was. Sometimes wonderful things don’t have the end you’d hoped for. Sometimes they end in heartbreaks. Sometimes we just have to doff our hat to the opposition for playing better cricket on the night.&nbsp;Congratulations, Desert VipersMI Emirates, in fact, did a good job restricting the Vipers to 182/4 with some tight final overs. Our batters kept us in the hunt until the end too. We had hope and reason to believe. But it wasn’t to be. With regular wickets, the Vipers derailed our chase and got home to win their maiden trophy.&nbsp;Farooqi’s double strikesOne big moment of cheer for MIE came in Fazalhaq Farooqi’s first over, where he dismissed the dangerous openers, Jason Roy and Fakhar Zaman, who were off to a flier. Although Sam Curran and Max Holden, and then Dan Lawrence, got big partnerships, our bowlers kept the asking rate in check all through.&nbsp;The Waseem kind of a startMuhammad Waseem did Muhammad Waseem things, getting the team off to a flier with his 13-ball 26. But after he fell in the sixth over, and the MIE were down at 54/4, the middle order had a lot to rebuild, and that meant taking the foot off the gas leading to the asking rate going up. They fought, hard, but it simply wasn’t out night.MIE Fam, we know this hurts. But we are proud of our boys for carrying us this far. For all the entertainment and the good memories over the last month, let’s give them a loud shoutout!&nbsp;

MI Emirates’ PRE-AUCTION SIGNINGS for ILT20 Season 5

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