Sports Bulletin

Colombo (SBR): Diana Baig completed 100 international wickets with a four-fer against India Women as Pakistan Women fell 88 runs short chasing a 248-run target in their second ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup fixture here at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo on Sunday night.Skipper Fatima Sana drew the first blood for Pakistan pinning Smriti Mandhana leg-before wicket after winning the toss and opting to bowl first. Soon after Sadia Iqbal castled Pratika Rawal for a 37-ball 31 with 67 runs on the board.Diana then got into the act with the big wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur (19, 34b, 2x4s) – who was caught behind – in the 25th over with 106 runs on the board.No.3 batter Harleen Deol top scored for her team with 65-ball 46, while contributions from Richa Ghosh (35 not out, 20b, 3x4s, 2x6s), Jemimah Rodrigues (32, 37b, 5x4s) and Deepti Sharma (25, 33b, 1x4) took their team past the 200-run mark as Pakistan grabbed last seven wickets for 96 runs.Diana returned figures of 10-1-69-4, while Fatima and Sadia dismissed two batters each.In turn, Sidra Amin, after walking in to bat in the fifth over, struck 81 – her 13th ODI half-century - with the help of nine fours and a solitary six.Sidra also shared a 69-run fourth-wicket stand with Natalia Parvaiz (33, 46b, 4x4s) and a 43-ball 41-run stand for the sixth wicket with Sidra Nawaz (14, 22b, 1x4) as Pakistan fell short with 42 balls to spare.For India, player of the match Kranti Goud and Deepti Sharma picked up three wickets each.Scores in briefIndia beat Pakistan by 88 runs at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium, ColomboIndia 247 all out, 50 overs (Harleen Deol 46, Richa Ghosh 35, Jemimah Rodrigues 32, Pratika Rawal 31, Deepti Sharma 25, Smriti Mandhana 23, Sneh Rana 20; Diana Baig 4-69, Fatima Sana 2-38, Sadia Iqbal 2-47)Pakistan 159 all out, 43 overs (Sidra Amin 81, Natalia Parvaiz 33, Kranti Goud 3-20, Deepti Sharma 3-45, Sneh Rana 2-38)Player of the match – Kranti Goud (India)

Islamabad (Sports News): The league stage match between defending champions Australia and Sri Lanka at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 was abandoned without a ball bowled at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.In what would have been Sri Lanka’s first home fixture at the World Cup, the toss was initially delayed due to a wet outfield.The rain then came in and failed to stop, which resulted in the match abandoned hours after the scheduled start.The teams each take a point from the encounter, which sees Australia move to the top of the table, while Sri Lanka have picked up their first point of the tournament.Looking ahead, the titleholders will next face Pakistan on 8 October in Colombo, while Sri Lanka will prepare to host England in a week’s time.

Islamabad (Sports Desk): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has approved Hannah Rowe as a replacement for Flora Devonshire in the New Zealand squad.Rowe was named as a replacement after Devonshire was ruled out after sustaining an injury to her dominant handduring the team's training session at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.The Event Technical committee of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 consists of Wasim Khan (Chair, ICC General Manager - Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager – Events & Corporate Communications), Abey Kuruvilla (BCCI Tournament Director), Mel Jones (Independent nominee).

 Lahore (PCB Report): Sri Lanka’s Ranjan Madugalle will officiate as match referee for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 matches and white-ball series between Pakistan and South Africa, scheduled from 12 October to 8 November.The first Test will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 12 to 16 October. Australia’s Rodney Tucker, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will serve as an on-field umpire alongside New Zealand’s Christopher Brown, who is part of the ICC Emerging Umpires Group.Bangladesh’s Saikat Sharfuddoula, also from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will perform the duties of third umpire, while Pakistan’s Faisal Khan Afridi from the ICC International Panel of Umpires will act as fourth umpire.For the second Test, to be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 20 to 24 October, Christopher Brown will be joined by Saikat Sharfuddoula as on-field umpires, while Rodney Tucker will officiate as third umpire. Rashid Riaz, from the ICC International Panel of Umpires, will serve as fourth umpire.In the first T20I on 28 October at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Muhammad Asif Yaqoob (ICC Emerging Umpires Group) will be joined by Rashid Riaz as on-field umpires, with Faisal Khan Afridi as third umpire and Tariq Rasheed as fourth umpire. The same team of officials will oversee the second T20I on 31 October at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.For the third T20I, to be played at the same venue on 1 November, Rashid Riaz and Faisal Khan Afridi will serve as on-field umpires, with Asif Yaqoob as third umpire and Tariq Rasheed as fourth umpire.For the three ODIs at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, Saikat Sharfuddoula and Asif Yaqoob will officiate as on-field umpires for the first ODI on 4 November, while England’s Alex Wharf, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will be third umpire, with Rashid Riaz as fourth umpire.Alex Wharf and Ahsan Raza (both from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires) will officiate as on-field umpires together for the first time in the series during the second ODI. Saikat Sharfuddoula and Rashid Riaz will perform the duties of third and fourth umpires, respectively.For the third and final ODI, Saikat Sharfuddoula and Faisal Khan Afridi will serve as on-field umpires, Alex Wharf will be third umpire, while Rashid Riaz will act as fourth umpire.

Karachi (PR)i: Pakistan Wheelchair Cricket Team showcased dominance and determination as they defeated Afghanistan by 9 wickets in the fourth and final T20I at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi, sealing the series 3–1. The victory was anchored by outstanding half-centuries from Gohar Afridi and Usama Tariq, while all-rounder Muhammad Fayyaz continued to shine, earning the title of Player of the Tournament.Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Despite a steady start, they struggled to build a big total against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling. Jaber Safi top-scored with 38 runs, while Zar Alam (23) and Raheemullah (14 not out) provided brief resistance. Other batters, including Mansoor Adil (14) and Abasin (15), failed to convert starts into significant scores.Afghanistan ended their innings at 155/8 in 20 overs. Pakistan’s bowling was led by Muhammad Fayyaz, who took two key wickets, while Ayub and Ahmad Yar chipped in with one wicket each.In response, Pakistan’s batters came out with a clear attacking mindset. Gohar Afridi lit up the ground with a brilliant 64 off just 41 balls, smashing 14 boundaries in his aggressive knock. He was well supported by Usama Tariq, who remained unbeaten on 60 runs, ensuring Pakistan’s chase never faltered.Muhammad Fayyaz added 24 runs to his all-round effort before being dismissed, the only wicket to fall. Pakistan comfortably reached 156/1 in 14.4 overs, securing an emphatic victory. Afghanistan’s Mir Akbar was the lone wicket-taker for his side.At the post-match ceremony, Gohar Afridi was declared Player of the Match for his explosive innings, while Muhammad Fayyaz was honored as Player of the Tournament for his consistent all-round performances across the series.Pakistan’s skipper Muhammad Zeeshan dedicated the series triumph to the Pakistan Army and national martyrs. He remarked:“This victory belongs to those brave sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives for our nation. It is because of their sacrifices that we live in peace. They confront the enemy fearlessly, without concern for their own lives or families.”Zeeshan added that the win represented more than just a sporting triumph: “This is not only Pakistan’s success, but a victory for wheelchair cricket as a whole. We have also worked to support the growth of Afghan wheelchair cricket, which is why this historic tour became possible.”Afghanistan’s captain Mansoor Adil expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s hospitality and praised the competitive spirit of the series:“It was a proud moment for us to play our first international wheelchair cricket series in Pakistan. Our players showed passion and commitment, and we hope to carry this momentum into the upcoming Asia Cup.”He further said, “We are thankful to the Pakistan Wheelchair Cricket Council and management for their warm welcome and outstanding arrangements. Pakistan’s hospitality has deeply impressed us, and we look forward to more such opportunities.”The successful conclusion of this series marked another milestone in the promotion of wheelchair cricket in the region. Both teams not only competed fiercely on the field but also strengthened the spirit of sportsmanship, brotherhood, and inclusion through the game.With the Asia Cup around the corner, Pakistan’s dominant performance will boost their confidence, while Afghanistan will aim to learn from the experience and deliver improved results in upcoming tournaments.

Dubai (SBR): West Indies’ Andre Fletcher capped a day of high-stakes drama at the first-ever DP World ILT20 Player Auction, emerging as the most expensive player with a whopping price tag of USD 260,000. MI Emirates outbid rivals to secure the explosive batter for a fourth consecutive season with the franchise. Close behind was England’s Scott Currie, snapped up by Dubai Capitals for USD 250,000. England’s Liam Dawson led the pack amongst the pacers acquired for USD 170,000 by Gulf Giants while Naveen-ul-Haq was acquired for USD 100,000 by the MI Emirates. UAE pacers were the flavour of the auction, with Junaid Siddique going to Sharjah Warriorz for USD 170,000 (Right-to-Match), making him their most expensive buy. Muhammad Rohid also drew a six-figure deal, going to MI Emirates for USD 140,000 (Right-to-Match), marking a massive milestone for UAE cricket. Notably some of the standout performers from the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament also converted their success into franchise deals at the auction. UAE pacer Haider Razzaq, the leading wicket-taker in Sharjah Warriorz Development’s title-winning campaign earlier this year, was purchased by Gulf Giants for USD 50,000. Player of the Tournament, Sanjay Pahal, an all-rounder who impressed throughout, was retained by Desert Vipers for USD 10,000. Raees Ahmed, who was amongst the top three run-getters, went back to Sharjah Warriorz at his base price of USD 10,000. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders eagerly pursued Scotland’s Brandon McMullen for USD 110,000, while also picking up Michael Pepper and Unmukt Chand at their base price of USD 40,000, along with England’s George Garton for USD 10,000. Their Associate Nation pool was reinforced by Kuwait’s Adnan Idrees (USD 10,000), while the UAE core featured Ibrar Ahmad (USD 22,000, RTM), Ajay Kumar (USD 10,000) and Abdul Manan Ali (USD 10,000). Desert Vipers acquired Pakistan stars Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah at their base price of USD 80,000 apiece, along with Afghanistan leggie Qais Ahmed (USD 40,000). They also secured Scotland’s Tom Bruce for USD 80,000 and brought in Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz at USD 40,000. Their Associate signings saw UAE keeper Vriitya Aravind (USD 10,000) join Bilal Tahir (USD 10,000), while Faisal Khan made history as the first Saudi Arabian player bought at the auction, picked up at his base price of USD 10,000. Dubai Capitals followed their big splash for the young Currie by opting for experience. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and England’s Tymal Mills were among their headline overseas pick at USD 80,000, while UAE’s Farhan Khan and Muhammad Farooq were secured for USD 10,000 each. To round out their haul, they added Kuwait’s Anudeep Chenthamara (USD 10,000) and Saudi Arabia’s Usman Najeeb (USD 10,000). Gulf Giants spread their net wide and became the first team to complete their squad. The Giants snapped up South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi and Netherlands’ pacer Fred Klaassen for USD 40,000 each along with England’s Sean Dickson, landed at USD 10,000. The franchise also strengthened their bowling department through England’s Chris Wood and West Indies’ Ramon Simmonds with both pacers also coming in at USD 40,000 each. Their Associate Nation haul included Kuwait’s Meet Bhavsar (USD 14,000) and Saudi Arabia’s Ishtiaq Ahmad (USD 16,000), with UAE’s Asif Khan (USD 26,000) and Zuhaib Zubair ‘s USD 10,000 Right-to-Match adding to their UAE core. MI Emirates, alongside their record signing of Fletcher, added Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hassan for USD 40,000 and England all-rounder Jordan Thompson for USD 48,000. They further diversified with Associate Nations players such as USA’s Nosthush Kenjige, UAE’s Zahoor Khan, Kuwait’s Mohammad Shafiq and Saudi Arabia’s Zain ul Abidin, all at USD 10,000. Sharjah Warriorz roped in South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius at USD 120,000 and English leg-spinner Nathan Sowter for USD 100,000. They also locked in pacers Jayden Seales and Taskin Ahmed at USD 80,000 each. The Warriorz spent big on UAE’ s Wasim Akram, bagging the pacer for USD 55,000. Kuwait’s Mohamed Nawfer and Mohammed Aslam were picked up for USD 14,000 each while UAE’s Ethan D’Souza, Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava and USA’s Harmeet Singh also made their way to the Warriorz for USD 10,000. 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.   Complete Squad List Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Total Spent: USD 1,457,000)Auction Signings: Michael Pepper (USD 40,000), George Garton (USD 10,000), Brandon McMullen (USD 110,000), Ibrar Ahmed (USD 22,000), Ajay Kumar (USD 10,000), Adnan Idrees Muhammad (USD 10,000), Abdul Manan Ali (USD 10,000), Mayank Chowdary (USD 10,000), Khary Pierre (USD 10,000), Shadley Van Schalkwyk (USD 10,000), Unmukt Chand (USD 40,000) Retentions + Direct Signings: Liam Livingstone, Alishan Sharafu, Alex Hales, Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Phil Salt, Olly Stone Desert Vipers (Total Spent: USD 1,617,500)Auction Signings: Vriitya Aravind (USD 10,000), Fakhar Zaman (USD 80,000), Naseem Shah (USD 80,000), Qais Ahmad (USD 40,000), Sanjay Pahal (USD 10,000), Bilal Tahir (USD 10,000), Faisal Khan (USD 10,000), Hasan Nawaz (USD 40,000), Tom Bruce (USD 80,000), Matiullah Khan (USD 10,000), Tawanda Muyeye (USD 40,000), Faridoon Dawoodzai (USD 10,000) Retentions + Direct Signings: Dan Lawrence, Max Holden, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sam Curran, Andries Gous Dubai Capitals (Total Spent: USD 1,475,000)Auction Signings: Mohammad Farooq (USD 10,000), Tymal Mills (USD 80,000), Scott Currie (USD 250,000), Mohammad Nabi (USD 80,000), Farhan Khan (USD 10,000), Anudeep Chenthamara (USD 10,000), Usman Najeeb (USD 10,000), Ritesh Mallikarjuna Grandhi (USD 10,000), Shayan Jahangir (USD 10,000), Rushil Ugarkar (USD 10,000), Naveen Bidiasee (USD 10,000), Toby Albert (USD 10,000), Akshay Wakhare (USD 10,000) Retentions + Direct Signings: Jordan Matthew Cox, Rovman Powell, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Waqar Salamkheil, Haider Ali, Muhammad Jawadullah, Jimmy Neesham Gulf Giants (Total Spent: USD 1,471,000)Auction Signings: Asif Khan (USD 26,000), Zuhaib Zubair (USD 10,000), Sean Dickson (USD 10,000), Tabraiz Shamsi (USD 40,000), Liam Dawson (USD 170,000), Fred Klaassen (USD 40,000), Haider Razzaq (USD 50,000), Meet Bhavsar (USD 14,000), Ishtiaq Ahmad (USD 16,000), Lorcan Tucker (USD 10,000), Chris Wood (USD 40,000), Tom Moores (USD 40,000), Ramon Simmonds (USD 40,000) Retentions + Direct Signings: Aayan Afzal Khan, Mark Adair, Gerhard Erasmus, Blessing Muzarabani, Moeen Ali, James Vince, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz MI Emirates (Total Spent: USD 1,868,000)Auction Signings: Muhammad Rohid (USD 140,000), Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000), Naveen-ul-Haq (USD 100,000), Andre Fletcher (USD 260,000), Nosthush Kenjige (USD 10,000), Mohamed Shafeeq (USD 10,000), Zain Ul Abidin (USD 10,000), Usman Khan (USD 10,000), Ackeem Auguste (USD 10,000), Arab Gul (USD 10,000), Tajinder Dhillon (USD 10,000), Zahoor Khan (USD 10,000), Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000) Retentions + Direct Signings: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Banton, Romario Shepherd, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Muhammad Waseem, Kamindu Mendis Sharjah Warriorz (Total Spent: USD 1,664,000)Auction Signings: Junaid Siddique (USD 170,000), James Rew (USD 10,000), Nathan Sowter (USD 100,000), Dwaine Pretorius (USD 120,000), Jayden Seales (USD 80,000), Harmeet Singh (USD 10,000), Wasim Akram (USD 55,000), Mohamed Nawfer Mohamed Aslam (USD 14,000), Raees Ahmad (USD 10,000), Richard Ngarava (USD 10,000), Shubham Ranjane (USD 10,000), Ethan D’Souza (USD 10,000), Taskin Ahmed (USD 80,000), Abdul Salman Khan (USD 10,000) Retentions + Direct Signings: Dinesh Karthik, Sikandar Raza, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tim David, Johnson Charles, Tim Southee, Saurabh Netravalkar 

Sports Bulletin Report Colombo (Sri Lanka): Bangladesh banked on their bowling strength to outwit Pakistan in their opening ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 fixture by seven wickets as they chased the 130-run target with 113 balls to spare and seven wickets in hand here at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Thursday evening.Opening batter Rubya Haider struck an unbeaten half-century (54 not out, 77b, 8x4s) while stitching a 62-run third-wicket stand with Nigar Sultana Joty (23, 44b, 5x4s) in the chase.Left-handed Rubya – who was also making her ODI debut - shared an unbeaten 34-run stand with Sobhana Mostary (24 not out, 19b, 6x4s) as Bangladesh began their campaign on a winning note.For Pakistan, Diana provided an early breakthrough with seven runs on the board before Rameen struck to remove Sharmin Akter as Bangladesh managed 35-2 in 12 overs. Fatima Sana removed Joty in the 25th over but in vain.Earlier, Pakistan elected to bat first and were dealt two early blows as player of the match Marufa Akter castled Omaima Sohail and Rameen Shamim for golden ducks in the first over with just two runs on the board.Muneeba Ali (17, 35b, 2x4s) and Rameen (23, 39b, 2x4s) then faced 63 balls to gather 42 runs together for the third wicket before Nahida Akter removed both in 12th and 14th over, respectively as Pakistan slid to 47-4.Aliya Riaz then stitched 20 and 24 runs with Sidra Nawaz and Fatima (22, 33b, 3x4s), respectively before Pakistan went from 67-5 to 100-7 in 29.3 overs. No.9 batter Diana hit two fours to remain 16 not out off 22 balls as Pakistan folded for 129 in 38.3 overs.Bangladesh’s Shorna Akter returned impressive figures of 3.3-3-5-3, while Marufa and Nahida picked up two wickets each. Rabeya Khan, Nishita Akter Nishi and Fahima Khatun dismissed one batter each.Pakistan will face India in their second fixture on Sunday, 5 October at the same venue.Scores in brief:Bangladesh beat Pakistan by seven wickets at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, ColomboPakistan 129 all out, 38.3 overs (Rameen Shamim 23, Fatima Sana 22, Shorna Akter 3-5, Nahida Akter 2-19, Marufa Akter 2-31)Bangladesh 131-3, 31.1 overs (Rubya Haider 54 not out, Sobhana Mostary 24 not out, Nigar Sultana 23; Diana Baig 1-14)Player of the match – Marufa Akter (Bangladesh Women)

Dubai (SBR): UAE will compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and EAP Qualifier next month. Prolific opener Mohammad Waseem will lead the 15-member squad. Three teams will earn qualification from the Qualifier for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 which will be played in India and Sri Lanka. A total of nine teams are competing in the tournament – divided into three pools of three teams each. UAE have been placed in Group 1 along with Malaysia and Qatar. The team will play Qatar on Wednesday, 8 October and Malaysia on Friday, 10 October. The top two teams from each pool will progress to the Super Six Stage. Super Six matches will take place from 12 to 17 October – the top three teams from the Super Six Stage will earn ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualification. UAE (squad): Mohammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Jonathan Figy, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Farooq, Mohammad Irfan, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh and Zahid Ali.Support Staff: Amjad Ezzi (team manager), Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manipreet Sidhu (video analyst) and Manish Pradeshi (physiotherapist). Schedule (Oman – UAE matches):Wednesday, 8 October – UAE vs Qatar – 2:30pm – Al Amerat Cricket Stadium Friday, 10 October – UAE vs Malaysia – 10:00am – Al Amerat Cricket Ground Turf 2 Super Six Stage – 12 October to 17 October – Al Amerat Cricket Stadium and Al Amerat Cricket Ground Turf 2

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD: The 10-team Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is all set to begin in four cities - Abbottabad, Islamabad, Peshawar and Rawalpindi from Monday, 6 October as the domestic cricket season 2025-26 gets into full swing, the PCB announced today.The four-day first-class tournament will be played on single-league round-robin format as a total of nine rounds have been penciled in from 6 October to 26 November, while the five-day final between the two top teams will take place from 29 November to 3 December.The venues for the 46-match QeA Trophy are Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad, Shoaib Akhtar Stadium in Rawalpindi, Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar and Diamond and Marghzar Cricket Grounds in Islamabad. The venue for the final will be announced later.Four of these venues except Peshawar also played host to the previous edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as well.The participating teams are Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, FATA, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan, Peshawar and Sialkot.FATA, Faisalabad, Karachi Blues and Multan have qualified for the QeA Trophy after finishing with the most number of points in the recently concluded Hanif Mohammad Trophy.In the first round, Sialkot – the defending champions of the tournament – will face Peshawar at the Imran Khan Stadium in a re-match of the previous edition’s final, which the former won by one wicket in a nerve-wrecking contest at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi.The squads of each of the 10 teams will be announced in due course.First round fixtures (October 6 to 9): Abbottabad v Bahawalpur at Abbottabad Cricket StadiumLahore Whites v Islamabad at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, RawalpindiPeshawar v Sialkot at Imran Khan Stadium, PeshawarFATA v Multan at Diamond Cricket Ground, IslamabadFaisalabad v Karachi Blues at Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad

Dubai (SBR): The DP World International League T20 (ILT20) today announced a strategic partnership with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF), under which SACF has sanctioned and licensed the DP World ILT20 as an official T20 league (men and women) to host matches within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of the forthcoming seasons.The milestone serves as another important step in DP World ILT20’s efforts to expand and enrich cricket across the Gulf region.Through this partnership the DP World ILT20 will work closely with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation and its commercial arm, the Cricket Investment Company (CIC), on developing cricket in the country besides identifying and nurturing talent. In another exciting development, Saudi Arabia players will also have a direct pathway into the DP World ILT20. Notably, the DP World ILT20 Season 4 Player Auction, scheduled for Wednesday, 1 October, will require each franchise to secure at least one player from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.In the coming years, DP World ILT20 matches will also be staged in Saudi Arabia. Chairman ILT20 Khalid Al Zarooni: “We are very proud to announce our partnership with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation. Saudi Arabia is a key part of the Gulf region, and its commitment to developing cricket is inspiring.“This partnership is built on our shared vision of growing the game beyond borders. The DP World ILT20 will create opportunities for players and hopefully bring world-class cricket closer to the fans.”Prince Saud Bin Mishal Al-Saud, Chairman of Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation (SACF): “We are proud to partner with the DP World ILT20. This collaboration reflects our commitment to developing cricket in the country and providing our players with opportunities to grow and succeed on an international stage. It also provides a platform for fan engagement within the Kingdom and opens up further avenues for developing the game across infrastructure and tourism.“With Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 placing strong emphasis on sport and community engagement, we believe this partnership will inspire more young men and women to take up cricket and will play a vital role in the sport’s growth in the country as part of SACF’s strategy to enable the private sector within Saudi Arabia.“This partnership is of immense significance to both SACF and the DP World ILT20, as we jointly expand across borders and become a catalyst for the growth of cricket in the Gulf region.”David White, CEO DP World ILT20: “This is a significant step in our vision to grow the game across the Gulf region. We have seen first-hand how young players from the UAE, and the broader ecosystem, have benefited from the DP World ILT20 platform under world-class coaching and playing alongside international stars. With Saudi Arabia’s dynamic growth in sport and entertainment, this partnership provides a tremendous opportunity for Saudi cricketers to develop.”“In the coming years we will be hosting DP World ILT20 tournament matches in Saudi Arabia while from next year, a development tournament will also be staged there which will provide an excellent opportunity to the local talent to make a claim for the main event. The league will also help Saudi Arabia in cricketing infrastructure development.” The DP World ILT20 Season 4 will begin on Tuesday, 2 December - with the six-team, 34-match tournament set to conclude with the Final on Sunday, 4 January 2026.