It has been raining offers for veteran Indian batter Ambati Rayudu from the overseas T20 leagues since his retirement from IPL after winning the 2023 edition with the Chennai Super Kings. Rayudu was set to play for the Texas Super Kings in the Major League Cricket but backed out amid reports of BCCI likely of having a cooling-off period for retired players to be able to participate in other leagues. However, Rayudu later confirmed his participation in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and has now signed up for UAE's International League T20 as well, ahead of the 2024 edition.
Rayudu, who is a 6-time IPL champion, will be returning to the Mumbai Indians campaign after more than six years as he will play for the Kieron Pollard-led MI Emirates in ILT20 2024. Rayudu is one of eight new signings for MI Emirates for the second edition of ILT20 alongside Akeal Hosein, Odean Smith, Kusal Perera and Corey Anderson among others.
Among other new signings, veteran Australian opener David Warner, who will be free from his national Test duties in the first week of January, will be playing for Dubai Capitals, Delhi Capitals' sister franchise. Capitals have also signed Sam Billings, Mark Wood and Dasun Shanaka among others but haven't retained any of their two Indian signings, Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan.
Here's a look at full squads:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
New signings: Brandon McMullen, David Willey, Jake Lintott, Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper, Ravi Bopara and Sam Hain.
Retentions: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange and Matiullah Khan.
Desert Vipers
New signings: Adam Hose, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Michael Jones, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Retentions: Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Dubai Capitals
New signings: Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Mark Wood, Max Holden, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nuwan Thusara, Roelof van der Merwe, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Sam Billings.
Retentions: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell and Sikandar Raza.
Gulf Giants
New signings: Dominic Drakes, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Karim Janat, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Saurabh Netravalkar.
Retentions: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma and Shimron Hetmyer.
MI Emirates
New signings: Akeal Hosein, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Kusal Perera, Nosthush Kenjige, Odean Smith, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil.
Retentions: Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed and Zahoor Khan.
Sharjah Warriors
New signings: Chris Sole, Daniel Sams, Dilshan Madhushanka, James Fuller, Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Lewis Gregory, Maheesh Theekshana, Mark Watt, Martin Guptill, Sean Williams and Qais Ahmed.
Retentions: Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore
