Revealed! Why Desert Vipers Are Leaving ILT20?

Defending ILT20 champions Desert Vipers are all set to leave the International League T20. The tournament is set to be played later this year but the Vipers won't be able to defend their title now.

The decision of Desert Vipers ILT20 exit is in relation to the differences that have emerged between the franchise and the organisers over the years. The separation has not been confirmed yet by any of the parties but is all likely to happen soon.

Why Desert Vipers Are Leaving ILT20?

According to Cricbuzz, a dispute emerged between the Desert Vipers franchise and the ILT20 organisers regarding the tournament's business model two years ago. Both the parties tried to resolve their issues but are still in the same position.

Desert Vipers are owned by Lancer Capital, which is promoted by Avram Glazer, which has the stakes in some of the richest sports clubs in the world. An associate of Avram Glacer, Paul Voigt, wrote to the ILT20 organisers announcing the team's decision to quit the league.

Not just the tournament organisers, Voigt has also spoken to the owners of other teams about this decision. According to the ILT20 latest updates, the tournament constitutes of five teams while another one may join soon.

The ILT20 have been played four times so far with Gulf Giants emerging as the inagural champions in 2023. MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals won the title in the next two seasons while Desert Vipers emerged victorious last time.

Which Team Will Replace Desert Vipers in ILT20?

The Desert Vipers replacement in ILT20 is likely to be announced soon. The ILT20, which is one of the richest cricket leagues in the world, has agreements with the Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation and Kuwait Cricket, which may help them in finding the new ILT20 team.

Desert Vipers is the only ILT20 team not to have any Indian owner. It is also the only team to feature Pakistani players as well. With them not participating any more, it creates an issue for Pakistan players in ILT20.

The participation of Pakistani cricketers in some of the biggest cricket leagues in the world has been a big problem. Usually, the India-based franchises have refrained from picking the players of Pakistan in their team due to the risk of backlash from the Indian fans.