New T20 league announced [Source: AFP]Adding to the growing list of franchise leagues around the globe, another T20 competition is set to have its inaugural season later in 2026, as Saudi Arabia looks to expand their presence in the cricketing market.Notably, alongside some of the finest T20 talents worldwide, potentially including retired stars like Nicholas Pooran and Heinrich Klaasen, the league will also see bona fide legends of the format. Saudi Arabia to launch a T20 league On Thursday evening, it was announced that the Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation (SACF) will launch the T20 franchise league in October, when the Caribbean Premier League 2026 and the Canada Super 60 will be completed. The October window ensures the availability of some T20 freelancers, despite international matches scheduled. During this period, the Caribbean Premier League 2026 and the Canada Super 60 will both conclude, leaving time before SA20 and BBL begin and ensuring a formidable player pool. The Dunes T20 League will consist of six teams, and all the matches will be played in western Saudi Arabia, i.e., Taif, near Jeddah. The SACF has partnered with the South Asian Network and Unique Sports Group, and Prolothic, which are leading talent agencies that manage talents like Jofra Archer. Additionally, Indian legend Yuvraj Singh will be the league’s brand ambassador, bringing eyes to the competition. The top talent will earn up to USD 100,000. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, it will also feature four Full-Member players, who have played international cricket in the last two calendar years. Also Read: Virat Kohli's IPL Retirement Shrugged Off; RCB Great Urged To Play As Long As PossibleSaudi Arabia looks to expand horizons Over the past few years, oil-rich Saudi Arabia has made huge strides in the world of sports, bringing in top-tier footballing talent to its league, while also launching a breakthrough golf league and organising big combat sports events like MMA and WWE. Having previously hosted the IPL 2024 auction and made multiple sponsorship deals alongside the partnership with ILT20 2025, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is now looking to put the country on the global cricket map and develop local talent. This could be the first step towards building something substantial in what is a multi-billion-dollar market, especially in Asia. Will Indian legends feature in Dunes League T20? It is widely known that BCCI does not allow any of its active international or domestic stars in leagues around the world to ensure that they remain exclusive to the IPL. However, in the past few years, some of India’s prominent names featured in T20 leagues across the world after retiring from all forms of cricket. Notable names include Dinesh Karthik in SA20 and the announcement of Ravichandran Ashwin in the Sydney Thunder squad before he was ruled out due to an injury. Considering they are open to inviting retired stars who are active in T20 circuits, R Ashwin, who will also play in the ETPL 2026 tournament could be one of the names who could be seen in this league, and several others could join him. Also Read: Pakistan Spinner Picks Country Above T20 League Within 4 Months After Signing Contract
