Today we will discuss the salary of International League T20 (ILT20) player in the UAE.

The league has generated enormous hype due to the salary they pay their players. Will this threaten to collapse the international cricket calendar.

How much do these players make? Can the ILT20 compete with the IPL?

ILT20 Salary – By the Numbers

• The average salary of an International League T20 (ILT20) player is $138,888 (maximum 18 players in the squad with a maximum purse of $2.5 million). Hence, the maximum salary cap for the entire ILT20 was $15 million for a maximum of 108 players, divided among 6 teams.
• Each team has allocated a purse ranging from $1.5 million (minimum wage bill) up to $2.5 million (maximum wage bill) to acquire their 18 players (maximum 12 overseas players). The maximum wage bill includes a $500,000 loyalty or signing-on bonus as well as a $500,000 bid purse per team that can be distributed among the players on top of their wage slots.
• The maximum an ILT20 player can earn is up to $450,000 ($340,000 is the maximum wage and another $110,000 can come from the signing on bonus).
• Zee Entertainment Enterprises signed a ten-year $100-$120 million deal with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for the media broadcasting rights.
• Compared to other leagues, the ILT20 ranks at #2 in the richest cricket leagues (according to average salaries).

The International League T20 (ILT20) – How Much Was Each Wage Slot?

The second season of the ILT20 will run from 19 January-17 February 2024 in the UAE. This time around, these matches have been granted official List A status. In any case, here are the wage slots for the 18-men squad in the ILT20 league.

Wage Slots	Salary Amounts (Minimum)
Slot 1	$340,000
Slot 2	$260,000
Slot 3	$220,000
Slots 4-5	$140,000
Slot 6	$100,000
Slots 7-8	$60,000
Slots 9-10	$40,000
Slots 11-12	$20,000
Slots 13-18	$10,000

ILT20 Retained Players and Squads – Salary of International League T20 Player

Another reason the ILT20 has garnered interest is because of its overseas player limit. The ILT20 has instilled a limit of nine overseas players in the XI. This is much more extreme than the 4-5 we see in the other teams.

This is how the teams stack up:

1. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

• Retained Players: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Joe Clarke, Charith Asalanka, Sabir Ali, Ali Khan, Matiullah Khan, Marchant de Lange
• Squad: Laurie Evans, Sam Hain, Michael Pepper, Alishan Sharafu, Ravi Bopara, Brandon McMullen, David Willey, Adhitya Shetty, Josh Little, Sabir Ali, Matiullah Khan, Jake Lintott

2. Desert Vipers

• Retained Players: Wanindu Hasaranga, Alex Hales, Tom Curran, Colin Munro, Sherfane Rutherford, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson* (withdrawn), Ali Naseer
• Squad: Azam Khan, Adam Hose, Michael Jones, Bas de Leede, Shadab Khan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Tymal Mills, Shaheen Shah Afridi

3. Dubai Capitals

• Retained Players: Joe Root, Sikandar Raza, Rovman Powell, Dushmantha Chameera, Raja Akifullah Khan
• Squad: Vritya Aravind, Sam Billings, Rahul Chopra, Max Holden, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sadeera Samarawickrama, David Warner, Mohammad Mohsin, Dasun Shanaka, Roelof van der Merwe, Akif Raja, Nuwan Thurshara, Andrew Tye, Mark Wood, Haider Ali

4. Gulf Giants

• Retained Players: Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Chris Lynn, Aayan Khan, Sanchit Sharma, Richard Gleeson, Carlos Brathwaite, Rehan Ahmed, Gerhard Erasmus
• Squad: Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith, Usman Khan, Aayan Afzal Khan, Dominic Drakes, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman*, Saurabh Netravalkar, Sanchit Sharma, Zuhaib Zubair

*Mujeeb is banned from ILT20 for a season or two due to a breach in contract

5. MI Emirates

• Retained Players: Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Muhammad Waseem, Daniel Mousley, Trent Boult, Zahoor Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Will Smeed, McKenny Clarke, Andre Fletcher
• Squad: Asif Khan, Kusal Perera, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein, Nosthush Kenjige, Muhammad Rohid, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Waqar Salamkheil, Zahoor Khan

6. Sharjah Warriors

• Retained Players: Chris Woakes, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Joe Denly, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Muhammad Jawadullah
• Squad: Basil Hameed, Johnson Charles, Martin Guptill, Kusal Mendis, Sean Williams, James Fuller, Lewis Gregory, Nilansh Keswani, Daniel Sams, Dilshan Madushanka, Qais Ahmad, Chris Sole, Mahesh Theekshana, Mark Watt

Which team are you supporting?

Also Read: How Many Cricket Leagues Are There in the World?

Final Thoughts

Cricket is at a breaking point. We have said this time and time again.

We are now at an extremely crucial juncture in cricket’s history. Not only is international cricket competing with franchise leagues for a spot in the calendar, the T20 leagues themselves are at odds with each other.

The SA20, ILT20, BBL, BPL, and New Zealand’s Super Smash are all competing for top talent between December and February, after which the PSL and IPL take over. Which leagues will survive?

We do not know, but international cricket may not. Test cricket (outside of the Big 3), definitely, will not.

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For other content on Finances in Cricket, do read:

• What is the Salary of a Major League Cricket player in the USA?
• What is the Salary of a SA20 player in South Africa? (Updated 2024)
• Top 36 Most Expensive IPL Auction Players (Salaries in US Dollars): Who are the Most Expensive IPL Auction Buys of All Time? (Updated 2024)
• What is the Salary of an Indian Premier League (IPL) player in India?
• Salary of women cricketers in the WBBL in Australia
• Salary of a Big Bash League player in Australia?
• What is the Salary of a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) player in the West Indies?
• What is the Salary of a Pakistan Super League (PSL) Cricketer in Pakistan?
• Salary of women cricketers in The Hundred (Women’s) in England?
• What is the Salary of a player in The Hundred (Men’s) in England?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Salary of International League T20 (ILT20) player

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