Reigning International League T20 (ILT20) champions Dubai Capitals have doubled down on their winning formula, as they confirmed the retention of West Indies T20 captain Shai Hope and power-hitter Rovman Powell for the 2025 season.
The move is part of a flurry of off-season activity ahead of the revamped December-January window, which has already seen Sherfane Rutherford switch camps to join Andre Russell and Sunil Narine at a reloaded Abu Dhabi Knight Riders unit.
Hope, who led the scoring charts in the 2024 edition, returns as the Capitals’ batting anchor. The stylish right-hander piled up 527 runs in 12 innings, averaging 58.55 with a strike rate of 124.29. His tally included one century and three half-centuries, providing consistency at the top for the eventual champions.
Powell, known for his finishing prowess, chipped in with 202 runs at a strike rate of 145.32, complementing Hope’s class with crucial middle-order muscle.
Alongside the Caribbean duo, Gulbadin Naib also returns for the Capitals, who have further strengthened with Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil, England pacer Luke Wood, and UAE seamer Muhammad Jawadullah.
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are wasting no time trying to bounce back from a last-place finish. The franchise, which retained Caribbean stars Russell and Narine, has added Rutherford, England’s Liam Livingstone, and T20 stalwart Alex Hales to its new-look squad.
Rutherford's aggressive batting and growing maturity, shown throughout last season with the Desert Vipers, make him a key acquisition as the Knight Riders aim for a turnaround in fortunes.
Elsewhere, Romario Shepherd will return to MI Emirates, who’ve also brought in England all-rounder Chris Woakes and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis as they fine-tune their balance for the upcoming campaign.
Johnson Charles, another West Indies stalwart, has been retained by the Sharjah Warriorz, with the franchise keen to continue building around his firepower at the top.
The six ILT20 franchises are expected to complete their squads via a player auction, with details to be announced soon. This year's edition has also been strategically shifted to a December-January window to avoid a clash with other global leagues and to wrap up well ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which bowls off in February.