ILT20 Season 5 Auction: Farooqi sold for USD 380,000, breaks Season 4 record
Synopsis
The ILT20 Season 5 auction rewrote its own record books on 1 October in Dubai: Fazalhaq Farooqi's USD 380,000 price tag shattered the USD 260,000 benchmark from Season 4, with Liam Livingstone, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Faf du Plessis all crossing it too. Babar Azam makes his ILT20 debut with Desert Vipers, while UAE's Muhammad Waseem becomes the most expensive homegrown player in league history.
Key Takeaways
Fazalhaq Farooqi became the most expensive ILT20 player at USD 380,000 , bought by MI Emirates , breaking the Season 4 record of USD 260,000 .
Liam Livingstone (USD 350,000, Gulf Giants), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (USD 310,000, Gulf Giants via RTM), and Faf du Plessis (USD 300,000, Dubai Capitals) also surpassed the old record.
Babar Azam will make his DP World ILT20 debut in Season 5 after joining Desert Vipers at base price USD 80,000 .
Muhammad Waseem became the highest-priced UAE player in league history, retained by MI Emirates via RTM for USD 210,000 .
MI Emirates were the biggest spenders at USD 2,000,000 ; Gulf Giants followed at USD 1,972,000 .
Players from Associate nations including USA , Scotland , and Namibia attracted bids of up to USD 100,000 .
The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction in Dubai on 1 October 2026 produced a wave of record-breaking bids, with Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi becoming the most expensive purchase at USD 380,000 — shattering the previous record of USD 260,000 set by Andre Fletcher and MI Emirates in Season 4. England's Liam Livingstone, Afghanistan wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and South Africa's Faf du Plessis also crossed the old benchmark, underlining the league's growing financial muscle.
Top Buys and Record Prices
MI Emirates led the spending spree, committing the full auction ceiling of USD 2,000,000 across their squad. After landing Farooqi at USD 380,000, they further invested in England seamer Chris Jordan at USD 170,000, retained Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar via Right-to-Match (RTM) at USD 150,000, and secured Lizaad Williams at USD 110,000. Liam Livingstone went to Gulf Giants for USD 350,000, with the Giants also activating an RTM option on Rahmanullah Gurbaz for USD 310,000 and snapping up West Indies pacers Alzarri Joseph for USD 230,000 and Shamar Joseph for USD 80,000. Faf du Plessis joined Dubai Capitals for USD 300,000.
Pakistan Stars Head to Desert Vipers
Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and Fakhar Zaman were all secured by defending champions Desert Vipers — each at their USD 80,000 base price. Notably, Babar will make his DP World ILT20 debut in Season 5, while Naseem and Fakhar return for another campaign with the Vipers.
UAE Players Make History
The six franchises demonstrated strong faith in homegrown talent. Muhammad Waseem became the highest-priced UAE player in DP World ILT20 history after MI Emirates used their RTM option to retain him for USD 210,000. Alishan Sharafu followed at USD 110,000 with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Muhammad Rohid and Aayan Khan each commanded USD 95,000 deals with the Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals respectively.
Associate Nations Leave Their Mark
Players from Associate Member Nations registered strong auction returns. USA's Amshi De Silva joined Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for USD 100,000, and fellow USA all-rounder Hassan Khan was secured by Dubai Capitals for USD 90,000. Scotland's Brandon McMullen went to Sharjah Warriorz for USD 80,000, and Namibia's David Wiese joined Gulf Giants for USD 70,000. This comes amid a broader push by the ILT20 to position itself as a destination league for emerging cricket nations.
Full Squad Spends at a Glance
Gulf Giants were the second-highest spenders at USD 1,972,000, followed by Dubai Capitals at USD 1,834,000, Sharjah Warriorz at USD 1,792,000, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at USD 1,549,000, and Desert Vipers at USD 1,544,000. Cricketing legends AB de Villiers, Allan Donald, Shoaib Malik, and Usman Khawaja attended the auction alongside ILT20 Season 5 ambassador Brett Lee, adding star wattage to the proceedings. With squads now assembled, all six franchises will head into Season 5 with significantly revamped line-ups and elevated expectations.
Point of View
Signalling that franchise owners see the UAE window as genuinely competitive real estate rather than a retirement circuit. The Babar Azam signing at base price is the most tactically interesting move — the Pakistan captain arrives without a premium tag, which either reflects market caution around his recent T20 form or shrewd franchise negotiation. The UAE player price surge, particularly Muhammad Waseem at USD 210,000, is the structural story mainstream coverage will underplay: it suggests the league is succeeding in its mandate to elevate host-nation cricket, not just import global stars.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most expensive player in ILT20 Season 5?
Afghanistan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi is the most expensive player in ILT20 Season 5, bought by MI Emirates for USD 380,000. This surpasses the previous league record of USD 260,000 set by Andre Fletcher and MI Emirates in Season 4.
Which team did Babar Azam join in ILT20 Season 5?
Babar Azam joined Desert Vipers at his base price of USD 80,000 and will make his DP World ILT20 debut in Season 5. Teammates Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman also returned to the defending champions at the same base price.
Which franchise spent the most at the ILT20 Season 5 auction?
MI Emirates were the biggest spenders at the ILT20 Season 5 auction with a total outlay of USD 2,000,000. Gulf Giants were the second-highest spenders at USD 1,972,000, followed by Dubai Capitals at USD 1,834,000.
Who is the most expensive UAE player in ILT20 history?
Muhammad Waseem became the highest-priced UAE player in DP World ILT20 history after MI Emirates used their Right-to-Match option to retain him for USD 210,000 at the Season 5 auction.
Where was the ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction held?
The ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction was held in Dubai on 1 October 2026. ILT20 Season 5 ambassador Brett Lee was joined at the auction by cricket greats AB de Villiers, Allan Donald, Shoaib Malik, and Usman Khawaja.
