ILT20: Powell, Ghazanfar retained; Hales, Livingstone among new signings

Defending champions Dubai Capitals have retained Rovman Powell, Shai Hope and Gulbadin Naib for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE. They have also signed Afghanistan wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil, England left-arm quick Luke Wood and UAE left-arm seamer Muhammad Jawadullah for the fourth season of the tournament.

Apart from retaining Afghanistan mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, Romario Shepherd and Muhammad Waseem, MI Emirates have picked Chris Woakes and Kamindu Mendis as their new faces.

Waseem, 31, is a six-hitting machine from the UAE. He has hit 165 sixes in 72 T20I innings - only Rohit Sharma (205) and Martin Guptill (173) have struck more sixes than Waseem in the format.

Desert Vipers, last season's runners-up, added USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous, who is currently in action for Washington Freedom in MLC 2025, to their roster. Lockie Ferguson, Sam Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dan Lawrence were among the players retained by Vipers for the upcoming season.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who finished last in the six-team league last season, have added more power to their side in the form of Liam Livingstone, Sherfane Rutherford and Alex Hales.

Hales, 36, brings in vast T20 experience: he has played over 500 T20s, scoring 13,756 runs at a strike rate of 145.28. He isn't too far away from surpassing Chris Gayle (14562) as the leading run-getter in T20 cricket.

The former England opener had earlier this year declined a contract with Nottinghamshire to play for the Knight Riders' franchises in MLC 2025 and CPL 2025. Hales had retired from international cricket in 2023 but has continued to be active in franchise leagues around the world.

The next edition of the ILT20 has been brought forward to a December-January window with an eye on avoiding the cluttered January-February window as well as finishing up well before the men's T20 World Cup, which will run from February to March.

The six franchises will complete their squads through a player auction, details of which will be announced soon, according to a statement from the ILT20.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine.

Desert Vipers: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, Sam Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Dubai Capitals: Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Gulbadin Naib, Rovmann Powell and Shai Hope.

Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince and Mark Adair.

MI Emirates: AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kusal Perera, Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton and Muhammad Waseem.

Sharjah Warriorz: Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Tim Southee and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alex Hales, Liam Livingstone and Sherfane Rutherford.

Desert Vipers: Andries Gous.

Dubai Capitals: Luke Wood, Waqar Salamkheil and Muhammad Jawadullah.

Gulf Giants: Azmatullah Omarzai, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

MI Emirates: Chris Woakes and Kamindu Mendis.

Sharjah Warriorz: Maheesh Theekshana, Sikandar Raza, Saurabh Netravalkar and Tim David.