- Desert Vipers will take on MI Emirates in the Qualifier 1 in Abu Dhabi on 30 December for a place in the final while Abu Dhabi Knight Riders take on defending champions Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator in Dubai on 1 January
- The winner of the Eliminator will progress to Qualifier 2 in Sharjah to face the loser of Qualifier 1 for the second spot in the final
- Point scoring system for the DP World ILT20 signature belts that recognise the top individual performers can be found here
- Tickets for DP World ILT20 Season 4 can be purchased from the ticketing platform Virgin Megastore – link: tickets.ilt20.ae
- For photos from DP World ILT20 Season 4, click here
Photo by CREIMAS / ILT20
Dubai, 29 December 2025: The DP World ILT20 Season 4 has reached a blockbuster final stretch, with the playoff line-up only confirmed after the final league-stage fixture. A must-win contest saw the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders overcome the Gulf Giants to seal the last available playoff spot and complete the final four.
The much-anticipated playoffs begin with Qualifier 1 tomorrow in Abu Dhabi, where the Desert Vipers face MI Emirates for a direct berth in the final. The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will then take on defending champions Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator in Dubai on 1 January, with the winner progressing to Qualifier 2 on 2 January in Sharjah to face the loser of Qualifier 1 for the second spot in the final, which will be played on 4 January at the Dubai International Stadium.
The Desert Vipers were the first franchise to seal their berth in the playoffs, doing so with six wins in as many games, including a nail-biting triumph against the Gulf Giants in the DP World ILT20’s historic first Super Over. The Vipers also became the first team in league history to win eight fixtures in the league stage of the season.
Max Holden (318 runs) provided consistency at the top of the order and Khuzaima Tanveer (14 wickets) and David Payne (12 wickets) delivered with the ball. Sam Curran (285 runs and seven wickets) has also played a central role in their campaign. He currently tops the Red Belt, awarded to the Most Valuable Player.
MI Emirates are evenly matched against the Vipers across eight encounters in four DP World ILT20 seasons, with four wins apiece. Notably, the two biggest winning margins in the competition’s history have both come in this fixture, with MI Emirates recording victories by 157 runs in 2023 and 154 runs in 2025.
MI Emirates recovered from a slow start to the season, turning around a campaign that began with two wins from their first five matches by putting together a five-match winning run to secure the second position on the points table. One of their top performers has been their opener and UAE star Muhammad Waseem (293 runs), who is currently at the top of the Blue Belt standings for the Best UAE player in season 4.
Reigning champions Dubai Capitals completed the league stage with five wins and five losses, with their campaign shaped by few of the season’s top individual performers. Waqar Salamkheil (17 wickets) and Mustafizur Rahman (15 wickets) have fronted the bowling effort to emerge as the top two wicket-takers so far, while Jordan Cox (311 runs) and Shayan Jahangir (302 runs) have been the most consistent run-scorers for the side.
The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders were the last team to qualify for the playoffs, overcoming the Gulf Giants with a dominant 32-run victory in a must-win fixture for both teams. It is only the second time the Knight Riders have reached the playoffs and in their only previous appearance at this stage, it was the Dubai Capitals who knocked them out. The Capitals also hold a dominant head-to-head record, having won eight of the nine meetings between the two sides.
UAE’s Ajay Kumar (15 wickets) has been the Knight Riders’ leading wicket-taker through the league stage, keeping him in the fray for the White Belt.
The DP World ILT20 carries a total prize pool of over USD 1 million, with the champions set to receive USD 700,000 and the runners-up USD 300,000. The winner of each of the DP World ILT20 signature belts will be recognised with a USD 15,000 cash prize.
DP World ILT20 Season 4 Belt Leaderboard so far:
Green Belt: Best Batter
Max Holden (Desert Vipers) – 374 points (318 runs)
Shayan Jahangir (Dubai Capitals) – 365 points (302 runs)
Jordan Cox (Dubai Capitals) – 362 points (311 runs)
Muhammad Waseem (MI Emirates) – 347 points (293 runs)
Sam Curran (Desert Vipers) – 336 points (285 runs)
White Belt: Best Bowler
Waqar Salamkheil (Dubai Capitals) – 307 points (17 wickets)
Ajay Kumar (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) – 265 points (15 wickets)
Mustafizur Rahman (Dubai Capitals) – 254 points (15 wickets)
Khuzaima Tanveer (Desert Vipers) – 243 points (14 wickets)
David Payne (Desert Vipers) – 230 points (12 wickets)
Red Belt: Most Valuable Player
Sam Curran (Desert Vipers) – 524 points (285 runs, 7 wickets)
Azmatullah Omarzai (Gulf Giants) – 499 points (233 runs, 12 wickets)
Sikandar Raza (Sharjah Warriorz) – 429 points (171 runs, 10 wickets)
Shayan Jahangir (Dubai Capitals) – 425 points (302 runs)
Jordan Cox (Dubai Capitals) – 402 points (311 runs)
Blue Belt: Best UAE Player
Muhammad Waseem (MI Emirates) – 377 points (293 runs)
Khuzaima Tanveer (Desert Vipers) – 337 points (66 runs, 14 wickets)
Ajay Kumar (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) – 285 points (15 wickets)
Alishan Sharafu (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) – 249 points (201 runs)
Haider Ali (Dubai Capitals) – 187 points (9 wickets)
DP World ILT20 Playoff Squads as of 28th December:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
International Players: Alex Hales, Andre Russell, George Garton, Jason Holder, Khary Pierre, Liam Livingstone, Michael Pepper, Phil Salt, Piyush Chawla, Olly Stone, Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine.
UAE Players: Ajay Kumar, Alishan Sharafu, Ibrar Ahmed, Mayank Chowdary.
Associate Players: Abdul Manan (Saudi Arabia), Adnan Idrees (Kuwait), Brandon McMullen (Scotland), Shadley Van Schalkwyk (USA), Unmukt Chand (USA).
Dubai Capitals
International Players: Dasun Shanaka, David Willey, Dushmantha Chameera, Gulbadin Naib, Jimmy Neesham, Jordan Cox, Leus du Plooy, Mohammad Nabi, Navin Bidassey, Rovman Powell, Scott Currie, Sediqullah Atal, Toby Albert, Waqar Salamkheil.
UAE Players: Farhan Khan, Haider Ali, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah.
Associate Players: Anudeep Chenthamara (Kuwait), Kaleem Sana (Canada), Rushil Ugarkar (USA), Shayan Jahangir (USA), Usman Najeeb (Saudi Arabia).
Desert Vipers
International Players: Daniel Lawrence, David Payne, Fakhar Zaman, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Hassan Nawaz, Jason Roy, Max Holden, Naseem Shah, Qais Ahmad, Sam Curran, Usman Tariq, Wanindu Hasaranga, Zafar Gohar.
UAE Players: Khuzaima Tanveer, Matheesha Khan, Sanjay Pahal, Vritiya Aravind.
Associate Players: Andries Gous (USA), Bilal Tahir (Kuwait), Faisal Khan (Saudi Arabia), Tom Bruce (Scotland).
MI Emirates
International Players: Allick Athanaze, Allah Ghazanfar, Andre Fletcher, Arab Gul, Chris Woakes, Daniel Mousley, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kadeem Alleyne, Kieron Pollard, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Shakib Al Hasan, Tom Banton.
UAE Players: Muhammad Rohid, Muhammad Waseem, Usman Khan, Zahoor Khan.
Associate Players: Mohammed Shafeeq (Kuwait), Nosthush Kenjige (USA), Sanjay Krishnamurthi (USA), Sunny Patel (USA), Zain Ul Abidin (Saudi Arabia).
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