"VAN" (Sports Desk - 02.10.2026) :: Big bucks and blockbuster bids lit up the DP World ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction, with four players shattering the previous auction record of USD 260,000 set by Andre Fletcher and MI Emirates in Season 4. Fazalhaq Farooqi led the way as MI Emirates splashed USD 380,000 on the Afghanistan star, followed by England’s Liam Livingstone at USD 350,000 with Gulf Giants. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fetched USD 310,000 through the Giants’ Right-to-Match option, while Faf du Plessis joined Dubai Capitals for USD 300,000.
Adding to the star-studded atmosphere, DP World ILT20 Season 5 ambassador Brett Lee was joined at the auction by cricketing greats AB de Villiers, Allan Donald, Shoaib Malik and Usman Khawaja.
Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman made their way to the Desert Vipers, with all four Pakistan stars secured at their USD 80,000 base price. Babar will make his DP World ILT20 debut in Season 5, while Naseem and Fakhar return to the defending
champions for another campaign.
The six franchises showed immense faith in UAE players, led by Muhammad Waseem, who became the highest-priced UAE player in DP World ILT20 history after MI Emirates used their Right-to-Match option to secure him for USD 210,000. Alishan Sharafu followed at
USD 110,000 with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Muhammad Rohid and Aayan Khan both commanded USD 95,000 deals with the Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals respectively. Khuzaima Bin Tanveer was secured by Desert Vipers for USD 75,000 through RTM, with Vriitya
Aravind joining the Vipers for USD 70,000.
Talent from Associate Member Nations also made a statement. USA’s Amshi De Silva joined Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for USD 100,000, while fellow USA all-rounder Hassan Khan was secured by Dubai Capitals for USD 90,000. Scotland’s Brandon McMullen was picked up
by Sharjah Warriorz for USD 80,000, while Namibia’s David Wiese joined Gulf Giants for USD 70,000.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders further splashed on English all-rounder Moeen Ali, securing the southpaw for USD 80,000. Afghanistan's Gulbadin Naib (USD 75,000) and Arab Gul (USD 80,000) lead the Afghanistan contingent, while West Indies' Andre Fletcher and New Zealand's
Colin Munro were both signed for USD 40,000. Saudi Arabia’s Abdul Mannan Ali also joined the Knight Riders, while Kuwait’s Ravija Sandaruwan was bought at his base price of USD 10,000.
Desert Vipers prioritised retaining their winning combination, exercising their Right-to-Match option for David Payne at USD 150,000. They also secured England’s Aneurin Donald and wicketkeeper-batter Joe Clarke for USD 40,000 each. Saudi Arabia’s Ishtiaq Ahmed
was secured for USD 12,000, while Bilal Tahir of Kuwait was retained at USD 10,000.
The Dubai Capitals used their Right to Match option on all-rounder Dasun Shanaka at USD 100,000. They further bolstered their batting stocks with Max Holden at USD 100,000 and the dangerous English opener Phil Salt at his base price of USD 80,000. Meanwhile,
Afghanistan's Sediqullah Atal and Karim Janat were roped in at USD 70,000 and USD 40,000 respectively. Kuwait’s Anudeep Chenthamara and Saudi Arabia’s Usman Najeeb were both secured for USD 10,000.
After making their intent clear with Livingstone and Gurbaz, the Giants continued to invest heavily, bringing in West Indies pacers Alzarri Joseph for USD 230,000 and Shamar Joseph for USD 80,000. Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran also joined for USD 65,000, while
Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher was secured for USD 22,000. Saudi Arabia’s Imtiaz Khan joined for USD 10,000, while the Giants deployed a Right-to-Match option on Kuwait’s Meet Bhavsar at the same price.
MI Emirates made moves in the accelerated rounds, going for Chris Jordan at USD 170,000 and South Africa’s Lizaad Williams at USD 110,000. The Season 4 finalists also retained Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar through their Right-to-Match option for USD 150,000. They also secured England's James Coles for USD 100,000 and Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera for USD 40,000. Saudi Arabia’s Zain Ul Abidin and Kuwait’s Mohammad Shafeeq were both signed at USD 10,000
The Warriorz strengthened their squad with a strong English core, securing Richard Gleeson for USD 180,000, Paul Walter for USD 110,000, and Tom Banton, Craig Overton and Adil Rashid at their USD 80,000 base price. Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi was acquired for USD 140,000, while South Africa’s George Linde and UAE all-rounder Ali Naseer joined for USD 40,000 each. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad Saqib and Kuwait’s Arunraj Selvaraj completed the haul at USD 10,000 apiece.
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