Dubai: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) successfully completed their player acquisitions at the first-ever player auction of the DP World International League T20 (ILT20) Season 4, held in Dubai on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. With a sharp strategy in place, ADKR built a competitive and well-rounded squad, retaining their trademark mix of flamboyant power-hitters, versatile all-rounders and experienced campaigners.
ADKR made strategic additions to bolster their squad across all departments. The standout acquisition is rising Scotland all-rounder Brandon McMullen, who has been in sensational form for his country. McMullen became the second-fastest player in ODI history to reach 1,000 runs and 50 wickets, achieving the milestone in just 33 matches. His standout performances include a crucial 60 against Australia at the 2024 T20 World Cup, making him a vital addition to ADKR’s middle order and bowling attack.
Leading the new signings from England is wicketkeeper-batter Michael Pepper, who was Essex’s leading run-scorer in the 2024 Vitality Blast with 535 runs at a blistering strike rate of 193.84. His exceptional form earned him an England ODI call-up, and he brings dynamic opening capabilities to the Knight Riders lineup.
The franchise also added experienced campaigner Unmukt Chand, the former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain, who plays for KRG’s MLC franchise Los Angeles Knight Riders along with all-rounder teammate Shadley Van Schalkwyk. England left-arm pacer George Garton and West Indian spinner Khary Pierre, who has represented Trinbago Knight Riders in the past, were also bought by ADKR at the auction.
Strengthening the GCC contingent, ADKR acquired Ibrar Ahmed, Ajay Kumar, Adnan Idrees Muhammad, Abdul Manan Ali, and Mayank Chowdary, ensuring strong local representation and nurturing homegrown talent in line with the league’s vision.
At the core of the squad remain star all-rounders Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, the iconic Caribbean duo who have long been synonymous with Knight Riders’ cricketing identity. They will be joined by Liam Livingstone, Alex Hales, Phil Salt, Sherfane Rutherford, and Olly Stone, who add batting depth and bowling balance. The franchise also used their Wildcard option to secure Jason Holder and Piyush Chawla, strengthening both pace and spin arsenals.
The team additionally includes UAE talent Alishan Sharafu, ensuring strong representation from the local pool, in line with the league’s regulations.
After a successful auction, Saloni Ganesh, CFO & COO, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, shared, “It feels really special to be here for the very first ILT20 auction. There’s always a buzz when you’re putting together a new squad, and with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders we already have a fantastic core — players like Sunil (Narine), Dre Russ (Andre Russell), Liam (Livingstone), Alex Hales, Phil Salt — it’s a powerful mix of experience and explosive talent. The auction went very well for us. We got most of the players that we were looking for and we’re really excited that we have managed to strike a great balance between truly skilled high-quality marquee players with great experience as well as some young explosive talent also.”
“We just celebrated TKR lifting their fifth CPL championship trophy – the first under coach DJ Bravo – and that winning energy is something we’d love to carry into Abu Dhabi as well. And personally, I’m thrilled to see Piyush Chawla back in Purple and Gold. With Sunil and Dre Russ, it’s like reuniting our Champion trio — guys who’ve given us so many great memories. I can’t wait to see them, along with the rest of this exciting squad, create new ones for ADKR fans here in the UAE. This really does feel like the start of something very special”, she added.
The DP World International League T20 Season 4 begins on Tuesday, 2 December 2025 (UAE National Day) and runs through to the final on Sunday, 4 January 2026.
About the Knight Riders
The Knight Riders brand is a global brand in International Cricket, with eight trophies to its name and four professional franchises under its wings – Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the TATA IPL, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) in UAE’s International League T20 and Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in USA’s Major League Cricket, making it one of the most versatile brands in T20 cricket globally.
TKR’s Men’s Team has won the CPL championship 4 times in 10 years since the Knight Riders took over the franchise. They are the most successful team in the Caribbean and hold a unique feat of having won the trophy in 2020 without losing a single game in the whole tournament. TKR Women, the Knight Riders’ first ever Women’s Team, were champions of the inaugural WCPL in 2022. KKR has made four appearances in the TATA IPL final, winning the championship thrice (2012, 2014, 2024). They finished runners-up in the 2021 season, staging one of the most remarkable comebacks in the tournament’s history.
For many years now, the Knight Riders Academy has been actively scouting talented cricketers from across India and around the world. The sole objective of the Academy is to identify and help cricketers make an overall round-the-year improvement in their cricketing skills and fitness.
