T20-LEAGUE

Yas Lions Squad and Schedule Abu Dhabi T10 2026: Full List

Published on October 17, 2026

Summary Overview: Yas Lions' full 18-man squad for Abu Dhabi T10 2026, led by Jason Holder with James Vince, Dasun Shanaka and Akeal Hosein. All 10 fixtures in UAE time, IST, PKT and ET.

Who are Yas Lions?

One of five new franchises in the revamped Abu Dhabi T10, which is now owned and run by the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub.

Who are their big names?

Pre-draft signings Jason Holder, David Willey and Andries Gous. The draft added James Vince, Dasun Shanaka, Akeal Hosein, Tom Moores and Obed McCoy.

When is their first match?

The opening match of the tournament, on Saturday, November 7 against defending champions UAE Bulls at 3:30 PM local time (5:00 PM IST, 4:30 PM PKT).

Where do they play?

Every match is at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The Story: Experience Over Flash

The Abu Dhabi T10 has a new look for 2026, with UAE Bulls the only franchise carried over from last season. Yas Lions are one of five new teams, and they get the biggest possible start: the curtain-raiser against the champions.

For readers new to the format: in T10 cricket, each team bats for just 10 overs (an over is six legal deliveries), so a game lasts about 90 minutes. There is no time to recover from a bad start, so experience under pressure counts for a lot.

That is how the Lions have built their squad. Jason Holder has captained West Indies, James Vince and David Willey have years of franchise cricket behind them, and Dasun Shanaka has led Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket.

The Talking Points

Holder Leads the Way

Jason Holder is the Lions' headline name. He hits a long ball, bowls tight seam at any stage of an innings, and is one of the best fielders in the game. Gulf News describes Yas Lions as Holder's team.

Two Left-Arm Weapons

Akeal Hosein bowls left-arm spin that is very hard to hit in the powerplay (the first overs, when only two fielders may stand outside the inner circle). Obed McCoy and David Willey both bowl left-arm seam, and Sri Lanka's Eshan Malinga adds pace.

Three Keepers, Plenty of Power

Andries Gous, Tom Moores and Masood Gurbaz are all wicketkeeper-batters. Gous knows UAE conditions well: he hit an unbeaten 120 in last season's ILT20 Qualifier 1.

Associate and UAE Talent

Netherlands off-spinner Aryan Dutt joins as the Lions' Associate Member pick. UAE players Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Ansh Tandon and Haider Ali give the squad local knowledge.

The Full Yas Lions Squad

Role	Players
Batters	James Vince, Andries Gous (wk), Tom Moores (wk), Masood Gurbaz (wk), Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Kamil Pooran, Haider Ali, Ansh Tandon
All-rounders	Jason Holder, David Willey, Dasun Shanaka, Karim Janat
Bowlers	Akeal Hosein, Obed McCoy, Eshan Malinga, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Aryan Dutt, Ajay Kumar

18 players. Jason Holder, David Willey and Andries Gous signed before the draft.

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Players to Watch

Jason Holder: The leader of the side, with big hitting, steady seam bowling and brilliant fielding.

James Vince: A stylish, experienced opener who has scored runs in franchise leagues all over the world.

Akeal Hosein: Left-arm spin that keeps batters quiet, even in the powerplay.

Dasun Shanaka: A powerful middle-order hitter who also bowls useful medium pace.

David Willey: Left-arm swing with the new ball and handy lower-order hitting.

Andries Gous (wk): An aggressive keeper-batter who knows UAE conditions well.

Yas Lions Fixtures (Local, IST, Pakistan and ET)

All matches are at the Zayed Cricket Stadium (Sheikh Zayed Stadium), Abu Dhabi.

Date	Match	Opponent	Local (GST)	IST	Pakistan	ET
Sat, Nov 7	1st Match	vs UAE Bulls	3:30 PM	5:00 PM	4:30 PM	6:30 AM
Sun, Nov 8	4th Match	vs Emirates Eagles	3:30 PM	5:00 PM	4:30 PM	6:30 AM
Tue, Nov 10	9th Match	vs United Tigers	5:45 PM	7:15 PM	6:45 PM	8:45 AM
Wed, Nov 11	12th Match	vs Arabian Aces	8:00 PM	9:30 PM	9:00 PM	11:00 AM
Fri, Nov 13	14th Match	vs Royal Desert Champions	5:45 PM	7:15 PM	6:45 PM	8:45 AM
Sat, Nov 14	18th Match	vs UAE Bulls	8:00 PM	9:30 PM	9:00 PM	11:00 AM
Sun, Nov 15	21st Match	vs United Tigers	8:00 PM	9:30 PM	9:00 PM	11:00 AM
Tue, Nov 17	24th Match	vs Arabian Aces	5:45 PM	7:15 PM	6:45 PM	8:45 AM
Wed, Nov 18	27th Match	vs Emirates Eagles	8:00 PM	9:30 PM	9:00 PM	11:00 AM
Thu, Nov 19	29th Match	vs Royal Desert Champions	5:45 PM	7:15 PM	6:45 PM	8:45 AM

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: the Lions start with two afternoon games on the opening weekend, beginning with the tournament opener against the champions. They play three days in a row twice (November 13 to 15 and November 17 to 19), and finish against Royal Desert Champions on November 19.

Playoffs (If They Qualify)

Stage	Date	Fixture	Local (GST)	IST	Pakistan	ET
Qualifier	Fri, Nov 20	2nd vs 3rd	5:30 PM	7:00 PM	6:30 PM	8:30 AM
Final	Fri, Nov 20	1st vs Qualifier winner	7:45 PM	9:15 PM	8:45 PM	10:45 AM

The team that finishes 1st goes straight to the final. Some reports give the playoff times an hour earlier, so check closer to the date.

Stat Corner

Stat	Figure
Squad size	18
Pre-draft signings	3 (Jason Holder, David Willey, Andries Gous)
Wicketkeepers	3
League matches	10
Afternoon (3:30 PM) games	2
Venue	Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi