Gulf Giants, owned by Adani Sportsline, had a record-breaking afternoon at the ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction, held in Dubai, twice setting a new benchmark for the tournament’s most expensive player.
The Giants first exercised their Right-to-Match option to retain Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz for $310,000, making him the most expensive player in ILT20 Player Auction history. The record lasted only briefly before England all-rounder Liam Livingstone joined the Giants for $350,000.
The Giants also secured West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph for $230,000, along with West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph, Namibia all-rounder David Wiese, Afghanistan batter Ibrahim Zadran, South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher.
Reflecting on an eventful auction, Gulf Giants Head Coach Simon Helmot said, “It wasn’t the plan to break the record twice in one night. But they are quality players and we’re really pleased with what we’ve been able to add to the squad.”
Livingstone adds further international experience to a batting group that includes South Africa’s David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, while Gurbaz gives the Giants another explosive option at the top of the order.
Helmot said the next priority was to complement that batting strength with the right bowling options.
“We’ve got an explosive top order and need some good death bowling,” he said.
The Giants’ auction activity comes after a successful campaign for their development side, which won the ILT20 Development Tournament. The pathway from the development programme to the senior squad is also reflected in the Season 5 group, with UAE players including Sagar Kalyan, Awais Ahmed and Haider Razzaq featuring among the auction signings.
With the auction complete, Helmot said the focus would now shift to bringing the group together ahead of the tournament.
“The focus now shifts towards turning the quality of the squad into a cohesive unit ahead of the season. It’s about the performance when it comes to the tournament.”
Pranav Vora, representing Adani Sportsline, said, “The Gulf Giants have consistently aimed to build a team that combines international quality, depth and a strong competitive identity. This auction has allowed us to add some outstanding players to an already strong core, and we are excited about the squad we have assembled for Season 5. We look forward to seeing the Giants take this group forward and compete at the highest level.”
ILT20 Season 5 will be played from 22 November to 20 December 2026 across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
Gulf Giants Season 5 Squad
Retentions / Direct Signings
Azmatullah Omarzai, Blessing Muzarabani, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen
Auction Signings
Liam Livingstone (USD 350,000), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (USD 310,000) (RTM), Alzarri Joseph (USD 230,000), Shamar Joseph (USD 80,000), David Wiese (USD 70,000), Ibrahim Zadran (USD 65,000), Tabraiz Shamsi (USD 40,000), Curtis Campher (USD 22,000), Dhruv Parashar (USD 10,000), Matiullah Khan (USD 10,000), Haider Razzaq (USD 10,000), Imran Mir (USD 10,000), Imtiaz Khan (USD 10,000), Meet Bhavsar (USD 10,000) (RTM), Shubham Ranjane (USD 10,000), Wahidullah Zadran (USD 10,000), Awais Ahmed (USD 10,000), Sagar Kalyan (USD 10,000), Alick Athanaze (USD 10,000)
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