Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants ILT20 2026 in Sharjah

Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants brings DP World ILT20 Season 5 cricket to Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday 22 November 2026. The Warriorz play at their home ground against the 2023 champions in an afternoon T20, with gates opening at 12pm and the first ball at 2pm. The organisers bill it as the two sides reigniting their rivalry on the cricket field.

About the DP World ILT20

The International League T20 is the UAE’s franchise Twenty20 competition, with six teams: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriorz. Season 4 ran from December 2025 to early January 2026, when Desert Vipers won their first title. Season 5 begins a day before this match, on Saturday 21 November 2026, when the Vipers face MI Emirates in Dubai, so this Sunday afternoon game in Sharjah is one of the very first fixtures of the new campaign, with both squads still settling into the season.

The rivalry so far

These two franchises have traded wins in recent seasons. In Season 4, Gulf Giants won the first meeting at Dubai International Stadium on 10 December 2025 by six wickets, chasing down 158 with two balls to spare. Aayan Khan took 3 for 17 to earn player of the match, Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 50 and James Vince added 35, while Dwaine Pretorius’s 36 from 17 balls had given the Warriorz something to bowl at.

The Warriorz hit back five days later in Sharjah, on 15 December 2025, winning by 11 runs. Tom Abell top-scored with 68 from 41 balls, and Matheesha Pathirana’s 3 for 19 restricted the Giants to 163 for 9. That home win is a good sign for Warriorz fans heading back to the same ground.

Sharjah Warriorz

Owned by Capri Global, Sharjah Warriorz are the only ILT20 franchise based in Sharjah, and Sharjah Cricket Stadium is their home. After finishing fifth and sixth in the first two seasons, they reached the playoffs in 2025, and in Season 4 they were captained by New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee. Their squads have featured names such as Adil Rashid, Sikandar Raza, Tim David, Johnson Charles and Dwaine Pretorius. They are still chasing a first ILT20 title.

Gulf Giants

Gulf Giants, owned by the Adani Group, won the very first ILT20 in 2023, beating Desert Vipers by seven wickets in the final. Captain James Vince was the leading run scorer that season with 439 runs, and Chris Jordan took the most wickets. After reaching the playoffs in 2024, the Giants finished fifth in each of the last two seasons, and for 2026 they have signed big names including David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Jos Buttler, Azmatullah Omarzai and Blessing Muzarabani, under new head coach Simon Helmot. Final Season 5 line-ups will be confirmed nearer the day.

The venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Sharjah Cricket Stadium is one of cricket’s most storied grounds. Built in the early 1980s, it hosted its first international match during the 1984 Asia Cup, staged its first Test in 2002 when Pakistan played West Indies, and has staged more one-day internationals than any other ground in the world, a record recognised by Guinness, with 318 international matches in total by October 2025. It was here that Sachin Tendulkar made 143 and then 134 against Australia in the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup. The ground holds around 16,000 and now has LED floodlights, the first cricket stadium in the GCC to switch to them.

By car, take Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road, then Second Industrial Street. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are an easy option, especially if you are coming from Dubai.

Know before you go

Seating is unreserved and first come, first served, and some seats have restricted views, so the noon gate opening is worth using to pick a good spot for an afternoon game. Dedicated wheelchair viewing areas are available if you choose the wheelchair option when booking.

Children under five can enter without a ticket if they sit on an adult’s lap, one child per adult, while everyone aged five and over needs a ticket. Under-15s must be with an adult at all times. Alcohol is not allowed, and outside food and drink, bottles and cans, umbrellas, strollers, camping chairs, banners and drones are restricted. Tickets are emailed 48 hours before the match, each one scans once, resale is prohibited, and there is a limit of ten tickets per person.

Who it suits

This is an easy Sunday plan for cricket fans in Sharjah and the northern emirates, families looking for a relaxed afternoon outing, and anyone who wants to tick off a match at one of the sport’s most historic grounds.

For more fixtures, see our sports events in the UAE guide, explore things to do in Sharjah, browse the November calendar, or check family and kids events.