ILT20 2026 transport guide: Dubai International Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium
ILT20 Season 5 runs 21 Nov–20 Dec 2026 at Dubai International Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah. Drive times, leave-by times and late pickups.
Chauffeur operations specialist, Dubai · Updated · 10 min read
DP World ILT20 Season 5 runs from Saturday 21 November to the final on Sunday 20 December 2026, across Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City, Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Most matches start at 6:30pm. None of the grounds has a metro station at the gate, so plan the road trip, and above all the ride home.
Six franchise teams play 34 matches in a month, and the fixture list sends fans to three emirates, often on weeknights. We arrange event limousine and chauffeur transport for cricket groups across all three grounds. This guide gives the dates, the venue split, leave-by times from Dubai for each ground, and how to get a group home after a 10pm finish.
When is ILT20 2026? Season 5 dates and match times
Season 5 opens on Saturday 21 November 2026 with Desert Vipers against MI Emirates at Dubai International Stadium, 6:30pm, and ends with the final on Sunday 20 December at the same ground. That’s the fixture list published on 7 October, as Khaleej Times reported it. The league’s earlier announcement on the official ILT20 site gave Sunday 22 November as the start.
The six teams are Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriorz. Each plays 10 league matches, and the top four go through to the playoffs.
| Date | Match | Ground | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 21 Nov | Opener: Desert Vipers v MI Emirates | Dubai International Stadium | 6:30pm |
| Sun 22 Nov | Sharjah Warriorz v Gulf Giants | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 2:00pm |
| Sun 22 Nov | Dubai Capitals v Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium | 6:30pm |
| Wed 2 Dec (UAE National Day) | Double-header: one match in Abu Dhabi, one in Dubai | Zayed Cricket Stadium and Dubai International Stadium | 2:00pm and 6:30pm |
| Wed 16 Dec | Qualifier 1 | Zayed Cricket Stadium | TBC |
| Thu 17 Dec | Eliminator | Dubai International Stadium | TBC |
| Fri 18 Dec | Qualifier 2 | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | TBC |
| Sun 20 Dec | Final | Dubai International Stadium | 6:30pm |
Most matches start at 6:30pm. Eight start at 2pm, all on weekends or Wednesdays, including the early game on each double-header day: 22, 28 and 29 November and 2, 6 and 13 December. A T20 match usually lasts about three and a half hours, so a 6:30pm start finishes around 10pm.
ILT20 2027 and 2028
| Season | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Season 4 | 2 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 | Previous season |
| Season 5 | 21 November to 20 December 2026 | Confirmed fixture list |
| 2027 season | Not announced yet | Recent seasons have run between late November and February |
| 2028 season | Not announced yet | As above |
The league has moved earlier in the last two seasons. Seasons 1 to 3 ran in January and February, Season 4 started in December, and Season 5 starts in November. So don’t assume a January date for the 2027 season; check the official site once the league confirms it.
The three ILT20 grounds at a glance
| Ground | Where | Capacity (organiser’s figure) | Season 5 matches | Getting there from central Dubai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai International Stadium | Dubai Sports City | 25,000 | 15, including the Eliminator and final | Road only; no metro station in Sports City |
| Zayed Cricket Stadium | Abu Dhabi mainland, off the island | 20,000 | 11, including Qualifier 1 | About 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes by road |
| Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Sharjah city | 16,500 | 8, including Qualifier 2 | 25 minutes off-peak; 60–90 minutes in the evening rush |
Dubai International Stadium: the Sports City run
Dubai International Stadium is in Dubai Sports City, next to Motor City, between Al Khail Road and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311). It’s the home ground for 15 of the 34 matches, including the opener, the Eliminator and the final.
There’s no metro station in Sports City, so nearly everyone arrives by road. RTA’s Wojhati journey planner shows bus connections from the nearest metro station, but expect a walk at the end.
- Weeknight arrivals cross the evening rush. A 6:30pm start on a working day means leaving Downtown or Business Bay around 5pm, in the heaviest traffic of the day. From Dubai Marina, JVC or Al Barsha, the run is shorter.
- Pickup is the hard part. Arrivals spread over 90 minutes; departures all happen at once. Agree a landmark before you go in (“I’m outside” means nothing to a chauffeur circling the car parks), and leave at the start of the last over or 20 minutes after it.
Zayed Cricket Stadium: an Abu Dhabi day trip from Dubai
Zayed Cricket Stadium sits on the Abu Dhabi mainland, not on the island, which helps: you don’t need to cross the bridges into the city. From Dubai, plan on roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on where you start and when. Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi travel time guide breaks it down by area and hour.
Leave-by times we’d use for a match day:
| Match start | Leave Dubai Marina by | Leave Downtown or DIFC by | Leave Deira or DXB by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:00pm | 12:15pm | 11:45am | 11:30am |
| 6:30pm (weekday) | 4:30pm | 4:00pm | 3:45pm |
| 6:30pm (weekend) | 4:45pm | 4:15pm | 4:00pm |
These include the walk to your seat. Weekday times are earlier because you leave Dubai in the evening rush.
The trip home is the easy part: after a 10pm finish the motorway is quiet, and most groups are home around midnight. In our cars, Salik and Abu Dhabi’s Darb tolls are included, and there’s no surcharge for late finishes. For context, published Dubai rate cards (September 2026) put a business sedan with driver at AED 500–850 for a half day, with many operators adding AED 125–200 when the car leaves Dubai. For one-way or return trips, our Dubai to Abu Dhabi chauffeur service covers the route, and the rate table on that page has our prices.
If you’re based in Abu Dhabi, we also do local pickups inside the emirate.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium: driving against the commute
Sharjah is the closest ground to central Dubai on a map and often the slowest to reach. Weekday evenings, from about 4pm to 8:30pm, the traffic runs one way: out of Dubai and into Sharjah, as commuters head home. A 6:30pm match puts you in the middle of that flow.
Our Dubai to Sharjah guide has the full pattern. For cricket, it comes down to this:
- For a weekday 6:30pm start, leave Downtown by 4:30pm. The same trip that takes 25 minutes off-peak can take 60 to 90 minutes in the evening.
- For a weekend 2pm start, leave an hour before. Weekend afternoons are calmer.
- The return is quick. After 10pm, Sharjah to Dubai runs against the flow, and the roads are usually clear.
- Pick a meeting point a short walk from the gate. On match nights, the streets nearest the ground are the hardest place to stop a car.
Our Sharjah chauffeur service also covers pickups inside Sharjah.
Super Sunday: two grounds in one day?
The 22 November double-header tempts fans to do both: Sharjah Warriorz against Gulf Giants in Sharjah at 2pm, then Dubai Capitals against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Dubai Sports City at 6:30pm. It’s possible, but tight. The Sharjah match should finish around 5:30pm, and Sports City is on the far side of Dubai. You’ll be crossing the whole city on a Sunday evening, a working day, so expect to miss the first overs in Dubai.
If you try it, book one car on hourly hire so the chauffeur is waiting outside the Sharjah ground at the last ball. Check the grounds for the other double-headers before planning two matches in a day.
The way home after a 6:30pm match
Most cricket transport problems happen at 10pm, not 6pm. Book the return when you book the outward trip, because late-night taxis and app rides bunch up at every ground when the match ends. Then message your chauffeur when the chase gets close. A one-sided game can finish early, and the car moves to the pickup point while you watch the last overs. If the group wants dinner in JLT or the Marina afterwards, tell us and it stays one booking.
Which car for a cricket group?
| Group | Car we’d send | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 fans | Business sedan or Mercedes S-Class | Fine for all three grounds |
| 4–6 fans | Large SUV or Mercedes V-Class | Room for flags and bags |
| 7–12 fans | Toyota HiAce, Hyundai Staria or a van with driver | One vehicle, one pickup point |
| 13–53 fans, fan clubs, corporate boxes | Minibus or coach with driver | We arrange buses with a driver for 12 to 53 seats |
For Abu Dhabi matches, hourly hire is usually better value than two one-way transfers, because the car waits while you watch. For Dubai matches, a drop-off and a fixed pickup time often costs less. Hourly hire has a 3-hour minimum, and you can cancel free up to 6 hours before pickup.
Same weeks, same roads
Dubai Run closes Sheikh Zayed Road on the morning of 22 November, the same day as the Super Sunday double-header. The Emirates Dubai 7s runs 27–29 November, overlapping the double-headers on 28 and 29 November, and both events pull evening crowds out of the city centre. UAE National Day falls on 2 December, with a double-header in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix follows on 3–6 December. Our Dubai events calendar lists the whole season.
Frequently asked questions
When does ILT20 2026 start?
DP World ILT20 Season 5 starts on Saturday 21 November 2026 with Desert Vipers against MI Emirates at Dubai International Stadium at 6:30pm, according to the fixture list published on 7 October. The league’s earlier announcement gave 22 November. The season runs to the final on Sunday 20 December, with 34 matches in total.
Where is the ILT20 2026 final?
The final is at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City on Sunday 20 December 2026, starting at 6:30pm. Dubai also hosts the Eliminator on 17 December, while Qualifier 1 is in Abu Dhabi on 16 December and Qualifier 2 is in Sharjah on 18 December. Book transport home early for the final.
Which metro station is near Dubai International Stadium?
There’s no metro station within walking distance. Dubai Sports City has no metro stop, so most fans arrive by taxi, ride-hailing app, private car or chauffeur. RTA’s Wojhati journey planner shows bus connections from the nearest metro stations, but expect a walk at the end and slow queues after the match.
How far is Zayed Cricket Stadium from Dubai?
Plan on roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes by road, depending on where you start in Dubai and the time of day. The stadium is on the Abu Dhabi mainland, so you don’t cross onto the island. For a weekday 6:30pm match, leave Dubai Marina by about 4:30pm.
What time do ILT20 matches start?
Most Season 5 matches start at 6:30pm UAE time. Eight start at 2pm, all on weekends or Wednesdays, including the first game of each double-header (22, 28 and 29 November and 2, 6 and 13 December). A T20 match usually lasts around three and a half hours, so evening games finish around 10pm.
Written by
Arshad HussainArshad Hussain has run chauffeur and limousine operations in Dubai since 2014: dispatch, fleet allocation, airport pickups and event transport.
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