Dubai: UAE pacers Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Rohid were among the most coveted names at the DP World ILT20 Season 4 Player Auction, landing blockbuster deals worth USD 170,000 with Sharjah Warriorz and USD 140,000 with MI Emirates respectively. The pair emerged as the fourth and fifth most expensive acquisitions of the league’s historic first auction. The demand extended to fellow pacers Wasim Akram (USD 55,000, Sharjah Warriorz) and Haider Razzaq (USD 50,000, Gulf Giants) as well, signaling a major milestone for cricket in the region.
Junaid, who returns to the Warriorz set-up for a fourth season, was secured when the franchise exercised its only Right-to-Match option, to snatch the 32-year-old away from the highest bidders, Gulf Giants. The right-arm pacer had impressed earlier at the Men’s T20 Asia Cup in UAE, emerging as the third highest wicket taker with nine wickets and two four-wicket hauls against Oman and Pakistan.
Highlighting his excitement, Junaid said, “This is a very special moment for me. To be brought back by the Warriorz at the first auction gives me a lot of confidence, and it also shows how far UAE cricket has come. Opportunities like these are important because they give us local players the chance to share the same stage as some of the best cricketers in the world. I want to make the most of it, contribute to my team, and show what UAE players are capable of.”
Rohid’s deal with MI Emirates, which was also the result of the Right-to-Match option, added further weight to the day’s narrative of local players making big strides. The 23-year-old pacer only made his UAE debut earlier this year, but is quickly securing his place in the team, often sharing new-ball responsibilities with Siddique. The left-armer has played for the MI Emirates on 15 occasions in the past two seasons of the DP World ILT20, returning 19 wickets.
Reacting to his signing, Rohid said, “It feels incredible to be picked up by MI Emirates at the first auction. Playing for this team, I have had a great learning curve in the past two seasons, and I see this as a chance to keep improving alongside some of the best players in the game. I also hope it shows young cricketers in the region that there are real opportunities here and that they can dream big.”
Though still uncapped, Wasim Akram and Haider Razzaq also attracted huge interest when they went under the hammer. Both bowlers impressed franchises at the recently concluded DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2025. They combined to pick up 27 wickets in seven games for season-winners, Sharjah Warriorz Development. Razzaq led the way with 16 wickets as the top wicket taker, while Akram secured a five-wicket haul including a hat-trick in his eleven scalps.
Speaking about what the step up means for him, Razzaq said, “The DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2025 was a great platform to showcase what we could do, especially with the pressure of the auction coming up. I’m thankful for the chance it gave me, and now that I’m with the Giants I hope it will be a big learning experience. I want to use the next season to learn and grow as much as I can.”
Sanjay Pahal, who claimed the Player of the Tournament at the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2025 for his big hitting and knack of picking up wickets in clusters, also found a deal with the Desert Vipers at USD 10,000. Asif Khan (Gulf Giants, USD 26,000) and Ibrar Ahmed (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, USD 22,000 RTM) were among the other prominent UAE acquisitions of the day.
DP World ILT20 Season 4 – Squads:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Abdul Manan Ali, Adnan Idrees Muhammad, Ajay Kumar, Alex Hales, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Brandon McMullen, George Garton, Ibrar Ahmed, Jason Holder, Khary Pierre, Liam Livingstone, Mayank Chowdary, Michael Pepper, Olly Stone, Phil Salt, Piyush Chawla, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine and Unmukt Chand.
Desert Vipers: Andries Gous, Bilal Tahir, Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Fakhar Zaman, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Faisal Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Leus de Plooy, Matiullah Khan, Max Holden, Naseem Shah, Qais Ahmad, Sam Curran, Sanjay Pahal, Shimron Hetmyer, Tawanda Muyeye, Tom Bruce, Vriitya Aravind and Noor Ahmad.
Dubai Capitals: Akshay Wakhare, Anudeep Chenthamara, David Willey, Farhan Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Haider Ali, Jimmy Neesham, Jordan Matthew Cox, Mohammad Nabi, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Naveen Bidiasee, Ritesh Mallikarjuna Grandhi, Rovman Powell, Rushil Ugarkar, Scott Currie, Sediqullah Atal, Shayan Jahangir, Tymal Mills, Toby Albert, Usman Najeeb and Waqar Salamkheil.
Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Asif Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Blessing Muzarabani, Chris Wood, Fred Klaassen, Gerhard Erasmus, Haider Razzaq, Ishtiaq Ahmad, James Vince, Kyle Mayers, Liam Dawson, Matthew Forde, Lorcan Tucker, Mark Adair, Meet Bhavsar, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ramon Simmonds, Sean Dickson, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tom Moores and Zuhaib Zubair.
MI Emirates: Ackeem Auguste, AM Ghazanfar, Andre Fletcher, Arab Gul, Chris Woakes, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jonny Bairstow, Jordan Thompson, Kamindu Mendis, Muhammad Rohid, Muhammad Waseem, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nosthush Kenjige, Romario Shepherd, Shakib Al Hasan, Tajinder Dhillon, Tom Banton, Usman Khan, Zahoor Khan, Zain Ul Abidin and Mohamed Shafeeq. (MI Emirates still have one Wildcard spot to fill.)
Sharjah Warriorz: Abdul Salam Khan, Adil Rashid, Dinesh Karthik, Dwaine Pretorius, Ethan D’Souza, Harmeet Singh, James Rew, Jayden Seales, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Mohamed Nawfer Mohamed Aslam, Nathan Sowter, Raees Ahmad, Richard Ngarava, Shubham Ranjane, Sikandar Raza, Saurabh Netravalkar, Taskin Ahmed, Tim David, Tim Southee, Tom Abell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Wasim Akram.
