Abu Dhabi T10: Everything you need to know about revamped 2026 tournament

A new-look Abu Dhabi T10 will kick off on November 7 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium with some of the best players in the world descending upon the UAE.

What it is?

T10 is the shortest format of the game and has its roots in the UAE. In existence under a different banner since 2017, the Abu Dhabi T10 has managed to stand out in a fast-growing world of franchise cricket.

What is new this time?

The Abu Dhabi T10 has gone for a hard reset for 2026. The tournament is now owned and managed by Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH), home to the Zayed Cricket Stadium (ZCS), supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).

It meant a complete overhaul of the tournament with fresh bids for new team owners, management structures and operational policies. Five new franchise owners have joined the league, alongside defending champions UAE Bulls.

Who are the teams?

There will be six teams competing for the trophy this season: Arabian Aces, Emirates Eagles, Royal Desert Champions, UAE Bulls, United Tigers and Yas Lions.

Show caption: A new-look Abu Dhabi T10 will begin on November 7. Photo: Ab…

When and where?

The 2026 edition begins on Saturday and will see six teams compete in 32 matches at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The final will take place on November 20.

Who are the big names?

All six teams are brimming with star players. Below are a few of them.

Arabian Aces: Moeen Ali (captain), Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings, Alzarri Joseph, Imran Tahir

Emirates Eagles: Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Trent Boult, Alex Hales, Rehan Ahmed, Chris Green

Royal Desert Champions: Nicholas Pooran, Phil Salt, Sherfane Rutherford, Naseem Shah, Maheesh Theekshana, Chris Jordan

UAE Bulls: Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Amir, Andre Fletcher, Shadab Khan

United Tigers: Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sufyan Moqim, Abbas Afridi

Yas Lions: Jason Holder, David Willey, James Vince, Dasun Shanaka, Eshan Malinga, Akeal Hosein

Local flavour

The UAE’s best and brightest will get to rub shoulders with the finest short-format players in the world. The big-hitting Muhammad Waseem (RDC), Alishan Sharafu (AA), Mohammad Rohid (UB), Khuzaima Tanveer (YL), Ayan Afzal Khan (RDC) and KS Bharat (EE) are some of the well-known local names who will be in action.

Fixtures

November 7: UAE Bulls v Yas Lions (3.30pm), Royal Desert Champions v Emirates Eagles (5.45pm), United Tigers v Arabian Aces (8pm)

Nov 8: Yas Lions v Emirates Eagles, United Tigers v UAE Bulls, Arabian Aces v Royal Desert Champions

Nov 9: Emirates Eagles v Arabian Aces (5.45pm), United Tigers v Royal Desert Champions (8pm)

Nov 10: Yas Lions v United Tigers, UAE Bulls v Emirates Eagles

Nov 11: Royal Desert Champions v UAE Bulls, Arabian Aces v Yas Lions

Nov 13: United Tigers v Emirates Eagles, Royal Desert Champions v Yas Lions, Arabian Aces v UAE Bulls

Nov 14: Royal Desert Champions v United Tigers, Arabian Aces v Emirates Eagles, Yas Lions v UAE Bulls

Nov 15: Royal Desert Champions v Arabian Aces, Emirates Eagles v UAE Bulls, United Tigers v Yas Lions

Nov 16: Arabian Aces v United Tigers, Emirates Eagles v Royal Desert Champions

Nov 17: Yas Lions v Arabian Aces, UAE Bulls v Royal Desert Champions

Nov 18: UAE Bulls v United Tigers, Emirates Eagles v Yas Lions

Nov 19: UAE Bulls v Arabian Aces, Yas Lions v Royal Desert Champions, Emirates Eagles v United Tigers

Nov 20: Qualifier (5.30pm), Final (7.45pm)

Tickets

Tickets for the tournament are available on the District platform. Prices start at Dh20. Hospitality packages are also available.

Where to watch in the UAE?

The 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 will be shown on the Starzplay app in the UAE and JioStar in India.