Babar Azam in ILT20 2026. [Source - AFP]The ILT20 2026 season is set to be played from November 22 to December 20, with the upcoming campaign marking the fifth edition of the tournament. The player auction is scheduled for Thursday, October 1.Six franchises will enter the bidding war for several international stars, with Pakistan batter Babar Azam also emerging as a potential participant in ILT20 2026. The possibility of his involvement has now generated significant interest ahead of the auction.ILT20 Hints Babar Azam Is Registered for 2026 AuctionThe ILT20 Season 5 player auction is set to take place in Dubai next Thursday with more than 800 players registering for the event. The registrations came from players across 20 countries, with the organisers set to shortlist the final list of around 200 players.The ILT20’s social media handles have been highly active ahead of the auction, teasing several big names registered for ILT20 2026. One of the biggest hints involved Pakistan star Babar Azam, with a blurry image of the batter posted.International League T20 @ILT20Official Guess the cricketing icon coming to the #DPWorldILT20Auction!! 👀🤔 #DPWorldILT20 #AllInForCricket #WhereTheWorldPlays Sep 24, 2026, 5:28 PM The post quickly sparked huge interest among cricket fans, who identified Babar Azam from the image and speculated about his participation. With the buzz growing around the ILT20 auction, the tournament organisers have now responded to the speculation surrounding Babar.ILT20 COO Mike Fordham Opens Up on Babar Azam’s ParticipationBabar Azam’s potential participation in the ILT20 2026 auction has generated significant excitement after the league’s social media post hinted at his registration. However, his involvement is yet to be officially confirmed, with ILT20 COO Mike Fordham addressing the speculation after being asked if Babar Azam is coming to ILT20.“We have players registered from major cricketing nations as well as from the associate nations. So the full list will be coming out in due course. So, you have to wait and see which players are in that list, but definitely some big name players have signed up for the auction,” Mike Fordham said on Thursday. Also Read: ILT20 Teams vs League Fight Happens For Afghanistan, Ireland PlayersFordham, who became the ILT20’s interim Chief Operating Officer this September after serving as the league’s Head of Operations, addressed the growing speculation around Babar Azam’s registration and hinted that several major names could feature in the upcoming auction.Babar Azam Unclear, Mike Fordham Confirms Pakistan Players for ILT20 AuctionMike Fordham did not provide a direct answer when asked specifically whether Babar Azam has registered for the ILT20 2026 auction. Instead, he smiled, kept his response brief and told everyone to wait and see.He was then asked whether several big names from Pakistan could feature in the ILT20 2026 auction, with growing speculation surrounding the country’s leading players and their potential participation in the tournament.Fordham confirmed that quite a few Pakistan players have registered for the ILT20 auction, but his response did not directly indicate whether Babar Azam is among those names, keeping the Pakistan star’s status unclear.Also Read: Hardik Pandya Return Delayed, Set To Miss Series Against Australia
