Dubai [UAE], September 30 (ANI): In a groundbreaking moment for cricket in the region, international superstars Ravichandran Ashwin, Jason Roy, Fakhar Zaman and Shakib Al Hasan will be among the top names to go under the hammer at the ILT20 Season 4 Player Auction on October 1, as per a release from ILT20.

The first-ever auction in the league's history will feature close to 300 players from more than 20 countries, combining marquee internationals and exciting upcoming talent, along with regional players from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia who must also be selected in the auction, heralding a new era and opportunity for regional cricketers in addition to UAE players.

Players have been grouped into price slabs of USD 120,000, USD 80,000, USD 40,000, and USD 10,000. The USD 120,000 category features Ravichandran Ashwin, as he gears up for his first foray into franchise cricket since his international retirement.

The USD 80,000 bracket will feature the likes of England's Jason Roy, Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, and West Indies' Andre Fletcher. The all-round options include Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi and Karim Janat, along with Pakistan's Muhammad Nawaz. Pakistan's pace spearhead Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf, and Afghanistan's Naveen-ul-Haq, add further firepower to this group.

The USD 40,000 category is also laden with proven performers. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan leads the group as one of the most seasoned players. He is joined by England's James Anderson, with both stalwarts bringing vast experience and proven quality to the pool. Australia's Andrew Tye and Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran and Najibullah Zadran bring further depth, while USA's Unmukt Chand, Netherlands' Logan Van Beek and Roelof van der Merwe stand out among the Associate Nation players in the pool.

Eyes will also be on the USD 10,000 category. It includes South Africa's Temba Bavuma, Irish veteran Paul Stirling, India's Siddarth Kaul and Priyank Panchal, Zimbabwe's Richard Ngarava and Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee. Namibia's JJ Smit, Scotland's Brandon McMullen and Canada's Kaleem Sana add further strength from the Associate Nations. All UAE players also feature at this base price, including Junaid Siddique, Vriitya Aravind, Aryan Lakra, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Zuhaib Zubair, Zahoor Khan, Dhruv Parashar, and Rahul Chopra.

Many of the format's most recognisable performers are already locked in with their franchises. Sunil Narine (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Andre Russell (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Phil Salt (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Tim Southee (Sharjah Warriorz), Dinesh Karthik (Sharjah Warriorz), Tim David (Sharjah Warriorz), Fazalhaq Farooqi (MI Emirates), Muhammad Waseem (MI Emirates), Romario Shepherd (MI Emirates), Gulbadin Naib (Dubai Capitals), Rovman Powell (Dubai Capitals), Moeen Ali (Gulf Giants), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Gulf Giants), Wanindu Hasaranga (Desert Vipers), Shimron Hetmyer (Desert Vipers) are among the stars set to feature in Season 4, ensuring that the tournament once again boasts a strong line-up of global talent.

Each franchise will enter the auction with a purse of USD 800,000 plus any remaining amount from the USD 1.2 million allocated earlier for direct signings and retentions:

Dubai Capitals and Gulf Giants enter the auction with the largest purses at USD 1,035,000 each. Sharjah Warriorz have USD 1,025,000, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders follow with USD 925,000, Desert Vipers with USD 802,500, and MI Emirates have USD 800,000 to spend.

At the end of the auction, each squad will be required to feature a minimum of 19 and up to a maximum of 21 players, split as a minimum of 11 from Full Member nations, four from the UAE, including one U-23 UAE Player, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia, and two from other ICC Associate Nations. Franchises must spend at least USD 1.5 million and no more than USD 2 million, with the option of signing up to two Wildcard players outside the auction for an additional USD 250,000.

Furthermore, the playing XI for every match must include at least two UAE players, along with one further player from an Associate Nation. The slot may be filled by either a third UAE player or a cricketer from any other Associate nation, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Auction Purses and Squad Composition

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (purse: USD 825,000) * Current squad includes: one UAE U-23, seven from Full Member Nations * Yet to acquire: three UAE Players, four from Full Member Nations, two from Associate Nations, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia

Desert Vipers (purse: USD 802,500) * Current squad includes: one UAE Player, six from Full Member Nations, one from Associate Nations * Yet to acquire: two UAE Players, one UAE U-23, five from Full Member Nations, one from Associate Nations, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia

Dubai Capitals (purse: USD 1,035,000)

* Current squad includes: two UAE Players, six from Full Member Nations * Yet to acquire: one UAE Player, one UAE U-23, five from Full Member Nations, two from Associate Nations, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia

Gulf Giants (purse: USD 1,035,000) * Current squad includes: one UAE U-23, six from Full Member Nations, one from Associate Nations * Yet to acquire: three UAE Players, five from Full Member Nations, one from Associate Nations, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia

MI Emirates (purse: USD 800,000) * Current squad includes: one UAE Player, seven from Full Member Nations * Yet to acquire: two UAE Players, one UAE U-23, four from Full Member Nations, two from Associate Nations, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia

Sharjah Warriorz (purse: USD 1,025,000) * Current squad includes: six from Full Member Nations, one from Associate Nations * Yet to acquire: three UAE Players, one UAE U-23, five from Full Member Nations, one from Associate Nations, one from Kuwait, one from Saudi Arabia

The DP World ILT20 Season 4 will begin on Tuesday, 2 December - UAE National Day (Eid-Al-Etihad), with the six-team, 34-match tournament set to conclude with the final on Sunday, 4 January 2026.

Current Squads

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Liam Livingstone, Alishan Sharafu, Alex Hales, Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Jason Holder (Wildcard), Piyush Chawla (Wildcard)

Desert Vipers: Lockie Ferguson, Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Max Holden, Sam Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga, Andries Gous, Shimron Hetmyer (Wildcard)

Dubai Capitals: Jordan Matthew Cox, Rovman Powell, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Waqar Salamkheil, Haider Ali, Muhammad Jawadullah, Jimmy Neesham, David Willey (Wildcard), Leus de Plooy (Wildcard)

Gulf Giants: James Vince, Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Gerhard Erasmus, Mark Adair, Azmatullah Omarzai, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kyle Mayers (Wildcard), Matthew Forde (Wildcard)

MI Emirates: AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kamindu Mendis, Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton, Muhammad Waseem, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow

Sharjah Warriorz: Tim Southee, Dinesh Karthik, Johnson Charles, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Saurabh Netravalkar, Sikandar Raza, Tim David, Tom Abell (Wildcard), Adil Rashid (Wildcard). (ANI)