Babar Azam is set to make his International League T20 (ILT20) debut, following Desert Vipers signing him for $80,000. The fifth edition of the ILT20 tournament will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between 22 November and 20 December 2026.
Previously, Azam has represented Pakistan in 143 T20 Internationals. His career T20 statistics show 359 matches played, accumulating 12,493 runs, with an average of 42.78 and a strike rate of 129.04.
Desert Vipers also secured Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah, each for a fee of $80,000. Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq initially went unsold during the proceedings.
During a separate incident, Azam threw a fan’s mobile phone at the Diamond Ground while representing OGDCL against State Bank of Pakistan. In his prior appearance for OGDCL, Azam scored 12 and 4 runs across the two innings.
Across his first three innings for OGDCL, Azam managed a total of 37 runs.
