MI Emirates Squad and Schedule ILT20 2026: Full List

Who are MI Emirates? The Mumbai Indians franchise's UAE team, based at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. They won the ILT20 in Season 2 (2024) and reached the final again last season.

How did they do last season? They lost the Season 4 final to Desert Vipers by 46 runs on January 4, 2026.

Who did they sign? Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford before the auction. At the auction they paid $380,000 for Fazalhaq Farooqi, the most expensive buy in ILT20 auction history, and kept Muhammad Waseem for $210,000, a record for a UAE player.

When is their first match? The opening match of the season on Saturday, November 21 against Desert Vipers in Dubai at 6:30 PM UAE time (8:00 PM IST, 7:30 PM PKT), a rematch of last season's final.

The Story: Second Best Is Not Enough

MI Emirates have been one of the most consistent teams in the International League T20 (ILT20). They won the title in 2024, when captain Nicholas Pooran hit 57 not out off 27 balls in a 45-run win over Dubai Capitals in the final.

For readers new to the competition: the ILT20 is the UAE's franchise T20 league. Six teams play each other twice, 10 games each, and the top four reach the playoffs. In T20 cricket, each team bats for up to 20 overs (an over is six legal deliveries), so a match lasts about three and a half hours.

Last season they reached the final again, but Desert Vipers beat them by 46 runs, bowling them out for 136. For Season 5, MI Emirates went big at the auction. Reports put their total spend at $2,000,000, the most of any franchise.

The Talking Points

Farooqi Breaks the Record

Afghanistan left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi cost $380,000, beating the $350,000 record Gulf Giants had set earlier in the auction for Liam Livingstone. His new-ball swing will pair with Chris Jordan ($170,000) and South Africa's Lizaad Williams ($110,000).

Rashid and Ghazanfar: A Spin Double Act

Rashid Khan is one of the greatest T20 spinners of all time, and MI Emirates also kept his Afghanistan teammate AM Ghazanfar for $150,000 with a right-to-match (RTM) card. That means they matched the highest bid from another team to keep him.

Waseem Becomes the Most Expensive UAE Player

UAE opener Muhammad Waseem was kept for $210,000 using another RTM card, reported as the highest price ever paid for a UAE player in the ILT20. He and Kusal Perera opened together in the 2024 final, and both are back.

West Indian Power in the Middle

Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd give MI Emirates some of the biggest hitters in the league. England's Jonny Bairstow ($80,000) adds even more experience at the top.

Coles on England Duty

England all-rounder James Coles ($100,000) is in England's T20I squad for the tour of Australia, which runs from November 21 to December 2. He is likely to miss MI Emirates' first few games.

The Full MI Emirates Squad

22 players. Nicholas Pooran led MI Emirates to the 2024 title. The Season 5 captain had not been announced at the time of writing.

Auction Buys

Prices as reported by Gulf News and Yahoo Sports.

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Players to Watch

Nicholas Pooran: The 2024 title-winning captain and one of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket.

Rashid Khan: World-class leg-spin that wins games on slow UAE pitches.

Fazalhaq Farooqi: The record $380,000 buy, with left-arm swing at the start of an innings.

Muhammad Waseem: The UAE's most expensive ILT20 player, a powerful opener.

Jonny Bairstow: An experienced, aggressive top-order batter.

Chris Jordan: A death-bowling specialist and brilliant fielder.

MI Emirates Fixtures (Local, IST, Pakistan and ET)

Local time is Gulf Standard Time (GST, UTC+4). IST is India Standard Time (UTC+5:30). Pakistan is on PKT (UTC+5). ET is US Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5). Every match starts on the same calendar date in all four zones.

The fixture pattern: MI Emirates open the whole season with a rematch of last year's final against Desert Vipers. Six of their 10 games are at home in Abu Dhabi, and they have three 2:00 PM day games, all at home. They play Abu Dhabi Knight Riders twice in five days (November 26 and 30), both in Abu Dhabi.

Playoffs (If They Qualify)

If MI Emirates finish in the top two, Qualifier 1 would be a home game in Abu Dhabi.

Stat Corner

Recent Finals

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is in the MI Emirates squad for ILT20 2026?

• Headline names include Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Jordan and Muhammad Waseem. The full 22-man list is above.

Who is the most expensive player in ILT20 auction history?

• Fazalhaq Farooqi, bought by MI Emirates for $380,000.

When do MI Emirates play their first match?

• Saturday, November 21, 2026, against Desert Vipers in Dubai at 6:30 PM UAE time (8:00 PM IST, 7:30 PM PKT). It is the opening match of the season.

Have MI Emirates won the ILT20?

• Yes. They won Season 2 in 2024, beating Dubai Capitals by 45 runs in the final.

Will James Coles play the whole season?

• He is likely to miss the early games because of England's T20I tour of Australia, which runs until December 2.

Related Guides and Series Coverage

📋 ILT20 2026 Schedule: Full Season 5 Fixtures, Venues and Match Times

📋 Desert Vipers Squad and Schedule for ILT20 2026

📋 Gulf Giants Squad and Schedule for ILT20 2026

📋 Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Squad and Schedule for ILT20 2026