ILT20 2024 to kick off on January 13
The start date for the second edition of the UAE-based T20 league was announced less than a week after Gulf Giants were named inaugural champions
ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Feb-2023
Gulf Giants celebrate with the ILT20 trophy • ILT20
The second season of the International League T20 (ILT20) will begin on January 13, 2024.
The UAE-based T20 league announced the starting date for the second edition on Saturday, less than a week after Gulf Giants were crowned inaugural champions in Dubai.
"Following the huge success of the DP World ILT20 2023, work has begun on Season 2 which is set to commence from Saturday, 13 January 2024," an ILT20 statement read. "Season 2 will be played on the same 34-match format with four playoffs including the final. The tournament schedule will be announced in due course."
The early announcement of the date is unusual by itself for a T20 league circuit where launch dates and fixture lists are revealed closer to the time the league starts. It also means that there will likely be the same schedule crunch with the SA20, the Big Bash League and most likely the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as there was this year.
The ILT20 was one of two new men's franchise leagues added to the calendar this season, along with the SA20. With a crossover of team owners in both leagues - and the IPL - there was plenty of jostling for players and calendar space this year, with the likes of England's Moeen Ali entering into agreements with both leagues.
Eventually, both leagues played out concurrently almost to the day, a scenario likely to be replicated next season: though SA20's dates have not been announced yet, it will begin after the New Year's Test so a clash is almost inevitable. There had been talk in the run-up to the ILT20 this year that they may work with other boards to minimise clashes - including the prospect of staging the ILT20 before January.
Ultimately, Moeen became a prime illustration of both the schedule crunch and ever-growing opportunities for players, turning out for Sharjah Warriors at the ILT20 around international duty in South Africa, before heading to Bangladesh for a couple of BPL games. The BBL had significant overlap with these leagues, and the Pakistan Super League began immediately after.