For the forthcoming International League T20 (ILT20) season in the United Arab Emirates, MI Emirates has formally announced Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard as their wildcard additions. After winning the Major League Cricket (MLC) championship with MI New York and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) crown with Trinbago Knight Riders earlier this year, the dynamic West Indian combination will once again team up.
Pollard, a real MI franchise icon, is still carrying on his storied T20 history. In addition to five IPL titles, two Champions League T20 trophies, two MLC titles, and the ILT20 trophy in 2024, the all-rounder has 18 T20 titles, the most of any player in the history of the tournament.
Nicholas Pooran, meanwhile, continues to be one of the most potent hitters in international cricket and plays for MI Cape Town in the SA20.
The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is still in great demand in international T20 tournaments, despite his unexpected decision to withdraw from international cricket. In 2023 and 2025, Nicholas Pooran won two MLC titles with MI New York, and he was a member of MI Emirates’ ILT20 2024 championship campaign.
In the MI Emirates squad, Nicholas Pooran and Pollard will join a formidable Caribbean contingent that includes Romario Shepherd, Ackeem Auguste, and Andre Fletcher, the most costly purchase at the first ILT20 auction, which brought in USD 260,000.
MI Emirates will shortly start preseason training with their coaching staff now that the squad is complete. Six teams and 34 matches will be played during the fourth season of the ILT20, which will take place in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah from December 2, 2025, to January 4, 2026.
On December 4, MI Emirates will play their first game against the Gulf Giants, two days after the Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers tournament opener on December 2.
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