The second edition of the International League T20 (ILT20) will kick off with Sharjah Warriors taking on Gulf Giants on January 19 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The defending champions Gulf defeated Desert Vipers by seven wickets in the finals of ILT20 in 2023 and the goal will be to repeat the heroics of last year.

Under the leadership of Moeen Ali, Sharjah finished fifth on the points table, missing out on the playoffs. They would be eager to qualify this time around, as the franchise has signed a lot of quality players. 

Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who was impressive in the last edition, will once again be a vital player, while the likes of Martin Guptill and Johnson Charles will strengthen their batting unit. On the other hand, Kusal Mendis is yet to join the squad as he is currently for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe. 

When it comes to bowling, Dilshan Madushanka and Maheesh Theekshana too will join the squad after the opening game, which is a massive setback for the team.

When it comes to Gulf Giants, Chris Lynn, James Vince and Shimron Hetmyer can change the complexion of a game at any time. They have built a strong squad, which has the potential to challenge for the title yet again. With the ball, Richard Gleeson and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be key. 

Probable Playing XI of Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriors

Gulf Giants – Chris Lynn, James Vince (c), Jordan Cox (wk), Usman Khan, Shimron Hetmyer, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Dominic Drake, Afzal Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zuhaib Zuhair

Sharjah Warriors – Martin Guptill, Johnson Charles (wk), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Basil Hameed, Joe Denly (c), Daniel Sams, Chris Woakes, James Fuller, Junaid Siddique, Qais Ahmed, Mohammad Jawadullah