Photo via The Times of India

Kuwait's ILT20 connection bears fruit on the road to the T20 World Cup

Kuwait’s recent success in the Sub-Regional Asia A Qualifier for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has shone a spotlight on the transformative impact of the ILT20 league on their players. Several members of Kuwait’s qualifying squad, including Bilal Tahir and Mohamed Shafeeq, have gained invaluable experience by competing in the ILT20 alongside top international talent.

Tahir, who scored 32 runs off 16 balls against Qatar and 16 off seven against Bahrain, credited his time with the Desert Vipers for teaching him the discipline of championship cricket, while Shafeeq—Kuwait’s first ILT20 player—highlighted the tactical lessons learned from sharing dressing rooms with stars like Kieron Pollard and Shakib Al Hasan. Their performances in the qualifier reflected that growth, with bowlers Mohamed Aslam (15 wickets) and Adnan Idrees (12 wickets) leading the bowling charts, both having played in ILT20 Season 4, where Idrees was named Player of the Tournament.

Kuwait’s connection to the league continues in Season 5, with Ravija Sandaruwan joining the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders after finishing as the qualifier’s third-highest run-scorer (176 runs), while Tahir and Shafeeq return to their respective ILT20 teams to further refine their skills for the global stage.

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