Dubai, Sep 3 : The fourth season of the ILT20 will begin with the rematch of last year's final between defending champions Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers in Dubai on December 2.

The league stage will run until December 28, with four double-header days planned in the competition. Sharjah Warriorz will face Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on December 3 in Sharjah, while Gulf Giants and MI Emirates will open their campaign in a clash on December 4 in Dubai.

The Dubai Capitals are the reigning champions, having secured a four-wicket victory over the Vipers in the last season's final with just four deliveries remaining and lifted the trophy in front of a raucous 25,000-strong crowd. Previous winners of the six-team tournament include MI Emirates in 2024 and Gulf Giants in the inaugural 2023 season.

The knockout phase is set to start with the Qualifier 1 to be on December 30 in Abu Dhabi. The Eliminator ( a clash between Team 3 vs Team 4 on the points table) will be played on January 1 in Dubai. Qualifier 2 (to be played between Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator) will be played in Sharjah on January 2.

Season 4 will conclude with the title clash ' the tournament finale ' which will be played at the Dubai International Stadium on January 4 from 6:30 pm local time.

Matches will be held at the same three venues as in previous seasons: the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to host 15 matches, Sharjah Cricket Stadium to stage eight games, and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi to host 11 matches.

Before the tournament begins, the season four player auction will be held September 30 in Dubai. The six franchises will have a combined purse of 4.8 million USD to spend in the player auction.

The last date of registering for player auction is September 10, and one of the big players to enter the fray could be former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently ended his stellar IPL career.

/IANS