UAE cricketers set for ILT20 earnings hit as USA’s Milind Kumar extends ODI world record

Leading UAE players are set to have their ILT20 windfalls snatched away as a scheduling clash is now almost inevitable.

Twenty-seven domestic players landed deals for a combined total of over a million dollars when the ILT20 auction took place last week.

Six of those were watching on from the other side of the world as part of the UAE squad that had just touched down in the United States.

The national team are in Dallas, where they are playing their penultimate tri-series in Cricket World Cup League Two.

The eight-team competition is part of the exhaustive qualifying process for next year’s ODI World Cup in southern Africa.

While the top four teams in it advance directly to the global qualifier, the bottom four will look to progress via the Qualifier Play-off. The UAE’s one-day international status will also be at stake in that tournament.

Their hopes of making the top four are unrealistic. After losing by six wickets to the United States on Monday, they remain rooted to the bottom of the CWCL2 table.

With six games still to play and 12 points still available, it is possible the UAE could match fourth-placed Oman’s total of 31 points.

ICC CWC League 2 - Dallas: USA beat UAE by 6⃣ wickets.

UAE: 330/8, 50 overs (Muhammad Shahdad 114, Tanish Suri 78; Harmeet Singh 4-65)

USA: 332/4, 48.5 overs (Milind Kumar 116 not out, Shubham Ranjane 57, Saiteja Mukkamalla 56; Muhammad Shahdad 1-32, Ali Naseer… pic.twitter.com/8nEceANCYW

— UAE Cricket Official (@EmiratesCricket) October 6, 2026

However, that would be dependent on Oman losing all eight of their own remaining games, and the UAE winning all six of theirs, while overhauling a huge net run-rate deficit.

Although the dates for the play-off have yet to be officially announced, teams have been told it will take place from December 1 to 21.

Season 5 of the ILT20 is from November 22 to December 20. With travel and acclimatisation ahead of the play-off, it means UAE’s ODI squad members will be unavailable for all but a few days of the competition.

While the league’s rules allow for franchises to replace players, there is no clarity over lost earnings for players who are called up for national duty. As such, players could miss out on substantial pay days.

Franchises were aware of the situation before the auction. As such, they largely steered clear of players who might have otherwise been attractive signings, like Harpreet Bhatia, the UAE captain, Adeeb Usmani and Sohaib Khan.

Some were too good to overlook altogether, though. The six players signed were Aayan Khan (who earned a $95,000 deal), Khuzaima Tanveer ($75,000), Ibrar Ahmed ($46,000), Ali Naseer ($40,000), Mohammed Arfan ($10,000) and Tanish Suri ($10,000).

A number of others who could potentially find themselves in the reckoning for the play-off also find themselves in the odd position of potentially hoping not to get picked.

They are the likes of Alishan Sharafu (who earned a $110,000 bid from Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Haider Ali ($36,000), Dhruv Parashar ($10,000) and Junaid Siddique ($10,000).

While the national team sustained their 19th loss in 30 matches in the CWCL2 against the United States, they showed further signs of the progress they have made lately against a side who are set to win the title.

13,000km to have the match abandoned without a ball bowled because of a wet outfield

Qualifier playoff/ILT20 clash now a near certainty for UAE, so Aayan ($95k), Khuzaima ($75k), Ibrar ($46k), Ali Naseer ($40k), Haider ($38k), Dhruv ($10k), Arfan ($10k) all going to be sweating https://t.co/ciNI1InQk8

— Paul Radley (@PaulRadley) October 4, 2026

Mohammed Shahdad hit his maiden ODI century as the UAE posted 330-8 in their 50 overs.

And Tanish, the 21-year-old opener, showed why he attracted the interest of Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20 with a sparkling, run-a-ball 78 at the top of the innings.

The UAE appeared well placed to defend that as they had the league leaders at 172-4 with 19.3 overs remaining.

Milind Kumar then set about an extraordinary chase in which he and Shubham Ranjane knocked off the remaining 159 runs in just 110 balls.

Given what the UAE have seen from Milind in this competition, is seems odd he was overlooked at the ILT20 auction.

He had played a similar counter-attacking innings when the sides met in Dubai earlier in the league, and his ODI batting average is a world record.

His 84-ball 116 not out in Dallas means his average in his 30-match ODI career is now 70. That is better than the next best in the format, Ryan ten Doeschate (67), as well as Shubman Gill (64.01) and Virat Kohli (58.78).