The Desert Vipers is a professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that plays in the Emirati International League T20 (ILT20). It was one of six teams that were announced for the inaugural season (2023); it was founded in 2022 and is owned by Lancer Capital LLC.[1]
| League | International League T20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Lockie Ferguson | |
| Coach | James Foster | |
| Owner | Avram Glazer | |
| Team information | ||
| Colours | Red and Black | |
| Founded | 2023 | |
| Home ground | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | |
| Capacity | 16,000 | |
| History | ||
| Twenty20 debut | v. Sharjah Warriors at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai; 15 January 2023 | |
| ILT20 wins | 1 (2025–26) | |
| Official website | Desert Vipers | |
| ||
The team's chief executive officer is Phil Oliver; the cricket director is Tom Moody. The team is coached by James Foster and captained by Lockie Ferguson. The Vipers were runners-up in the inaugural season of the tournament, finished 5th in Season 2, were runners-up again in Season 3, and finally the champions in Season 4.[2][3][4]
History
editIn August 2022, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) announced the establishment of the International League T20, to be started in 2023. The teams for the competition, representing three different cities of the United Arab Emirates, and three general teams which were not tied exclusively to one city, were put up for auction in the UAE in September 2022. The franchise was purchased by Manchester United FC CEO Avram Glazer. The team unveiled their name Desert Vipers, logo and jersey in January 2023, through their social media handles.
Current squad
edit- As of 24 November 2025[5]
- Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| Name | Nationality | Birth date | Batting style | Bowling style | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batsmen | ||||||
| Tom Bruce |  Scotland | 2 August 1991 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2025 | |
| Dan Lawrence |  England | 12 July 1997 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2025 | |
| Shimron Hetmyer |  West Indies | 26 December 1996 | Left-handed | Right-arm leg break | 2025 | |
| Max Holden | England | 18 December 1997 | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | 2025 | |
| Hassan Nawaz |  Pakistan | 21 August 2002 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | 2025 | |
| Faisal Khan |  Saudi Arabia | 2 November 1996 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2025 | |
| Bilal Tahir |  Kuwait | 31 May 1998 | Left-handed | Leg break | 2025 | |
| Fakhar Zaman | Pakistan | 10 April 1990 | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2025 | |
| All-rounders | ||||||
| Sam Curran | England | 3 June 1998 | Left-handed | Left-arm medium-fast | 2023 | |
| Wanindu Hasaranga |  Sri Lanka | 29 July 1997 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | 2023 | |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||
| Vriitya Aravind |  United Arab Emirates | 11 June 2002 | Right-handed | 2025 | ||
| Andries Gous |  United States | 24 November 1993 | Right-handed | 2025 | ||
| Pace bowlers | ||||||
| Lockie Ferguson (capt) |  New Zealand | 13 June 1991 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | 2025 | |
| Sanjay Pahal |  India | 29 June 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | 2025 | |
| David Payne | England | 15 February 1991 | Right-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | 2025 | |
| Faridoon Dawoodzai |  Afghanistan | 26 November 2005 | Right-handed | Left-arm fast | 2025 | |
| Naseem Shah | Pakistan | 15 February 2003 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | 2025 | |
| Matiullah Khan | United Arab Emirates | 1 March 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2025 | |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | United Arab Emirates | 20 December 1999 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | 2025 | |
| Spin bowlers | ||||||
| Qais Ahmad | Afghanistan | 15 August 2000 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | 2025 | |
Statistics
editAdministration and support staff
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| CEO | Phil Oliver |
| Director of cricket | Tom Moody |
| Head coach | James Foster |
| Batting coach | Neil McKenzie |
| Fast bowling coach | Azhar Mahmood |
| Spin bowling coach | Carl Crowe |
| Fielding coach | Simon Helmot |
Sustainability
editThe Desert Vipers became the first cricket franchise in the world to make their full season carbon footprint public, when they published their Season 1 footprint of 573 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023. In Season 2, they hosted their first 'Sustainability Match', which aimed to celebrate their achievements to date and trial new sustainability initiatives. They are Dubai's first signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework, and they have committed to Net Zero by 2040.
In Season 4 (2025-26) they unveiled a green playing kit as a sign of commitment to their sustainability values.
References
edit- ↑ "Desert Vipers Team". thedesertvipers. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "Desert Vipers Team UAE ILT20 2024 Squad, Players list, Captain, Coach ,International League T20 (ILT20) 2024". india cricket schedule. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ↑ "International League T20, 2023 Desert Vipers Squad, Owner, Dev Rai Captain". sportsunfold. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ↑ "Retained by the Desert Vipers, Rohan Mustafa also hopes to retain his role as opener in season two of the DP World ILT20". thedesertvipers. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
- ↑ "Squad". The Desert Vipers. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ↑ "DP World ILT20 Season 2 to be played between 19 January to 18 February 2024". ilt20.ae. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
- ↑ "Gulf Giants, Sharjah Warriors to play ILT20 opener on January 19". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2023-11-02.