ILT20 Qualifier 2 2026 in Sharjah

ILT20 Qualifier 2 in Sharjah decides the last place in the DP World ILT20 Season 5 Final, with the match played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday 18 December 2026. The team that lost Qualifier 1 meets the team that won the Eliminator, and only the winner travels to Dubai for the title decider two days later.

Gates open at 4:30pm and the first ball is at 6:30pm, making this a Friday night knockout at one of the most storied grounds in world cricket.

The road to ILT20 Qualifier 2 in Sharjah

Season 5 of the DP World International League T20, the UAE’s six-team franchise league, runs to 34 matches between late November and 20 December 2026. After 30 league games, the top four go into a four-match play-off week that moves between all three host cities.

It starts with Qualifier 1 in Abu Dhabi on 16 December, where the top two teams play for a direct place in the Final. The third and fourth-placed sides meet in the Eliminator at Dubai International Stadium on 17 December. Qualifier 2 brings the two remaining contenders together in Sharjah: one has just lost a final-qualifying game and needs to regroup quickly, the other has already won a knockout and arrives with momentum, but with less than a day to recover. The winner goes on to the Final at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday 20 December.

The ticket page lists the fixture as Loser of Q1 vs Winner of Eliminator, because the teams are only settled after those two games. Follow the results on 16 and 17 December to see who you will be watching.

Play-off history at Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Sharjah has played its part in ILT20 knockouts before. In 2025, Qualifier 2 was also staged here, with Desert Vipers facing the home franchise Sharjah Warriorz for a place in the final. The Vipers went through but lost the 2025 final to Dubai Capitals by four wickets, one of several near misses before they finally won the title.

That breakthrough came in Season 4, when Desert Vipers beat MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final in Dubai on 4 January 2026, with captain Sam Curran unbeaten on 74. Before them, the trophy went to Gulf Giants in 2023, MI Emirates in 2024 and Dubai Capitals in 2025, so no team has yet won the ILT20 twice. For whichever side wins on Friday night, that run of different champions is a reminder that the title is open to anyone still standing.

Sharjah Warriorz, founded in 2022 and owned by Capri Global, play their home matches at this ground, and Sharjah stages eight of the 34 Season 5 matches. Qualifier 2 is the last of them.

A ground with more one-day internationals than any other

Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds the Guinness World Record for the most one-day internationals hosted at one venue. It had already staged 198 ODIs and four Tests between 1984 and 2003, passed 200 ODIs in 2010 and has since hosted well over 240, and it has also been described as the first ground to host 300 men’s international matches. For cricket fans who grew up watching the Sharjah tournaments of the 1980s and 1990s, a play-off night here carries real history.

The ground is known for a flat pitch and short boundaries, which is why ILT20 games here have a reputation for high scores. For a knockout, that means a total that looks safe at the halfway mark may not be, and close finishes are common.

For ILT20 games all categories are unreserved, on a first come, first served basis, and the enclosures differ in their view of the pitch and how much shade they get. A T20 match lasts around three and a half hours, so play should finish late on Friday evening.

Tickets, entry rules and getting there

Tickets are sold through Platinumlist, with a limit of 10 per person, and are emailed 48 hours before the match. Each ticket is valid for one entry. Children aged 5 and over need their own ticket. Under-fives can enter free on an adult’s lap, one child per adult, and anyone under 15 must stay with an adult at all times. Photo ID may be requested to confirm a child’s age.

Alcohol cannot be brought in and smoking is only allowed in designated areas. Outside food and drinks are restricted unless medically required, metal cans and glass bottles are not allowed unless bought inside, and strollers, umbrellas, camping chairs, drones, laser pointers, horns, cool boxes, oversized bags and professional filming equipment are restricted. There is no bag drop and you may be searched on entry. No dress code is listed.

The stadium is on Second Industrial Street in Industrial Area 5. By car, take Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road, then Second Industrial Street. Parking is available but is not included with tickets and is paid at the parking entrance. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are an easy alternative.

Catch the other knockouts at the ILT20 Eliminator in Dubai and the ILT20 Final, browse more sports events in the UAE, or see our guides to things to do in Sharjah and things to do in December.