Babar Azam Leads Pakistan Stars in ILT20 Season 5 Auction

Babar Azam's long-awaited ILT20 move is finally official. The Pakistan batter was picked by Desert Vipers for $80,000 at the ILT20 Season 5 auction in Dubai, securing his first appearance in the UAE-based league. The deal came at his listed base price, with the Vipers bringing one of Pakistan's biggest names into their squad for the new season.

For Babar, it is a fresh chapter in franchise cricket. He now joins a Desert Vipers side that already has several Pakistan connections, including Naseem Shah, while Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were also picked by the franchise during the same auction.

And that made the Pakistan story much bigger than one signing.

Babar Azam Joins Desert Vipers for $80,000

The Babar Azam ILT20 deal was one of the most closely followed moments of the auction.

The right-hander entered the player pool in the $80,000 category and was eventually secured by Desert Vipers for exactly that amount. There was no extended bidding battle for his signature, but the move itself carries plenty of weight given Babar's profile and his previous record in international white-ball cricket.

Desert Vipers confirmed the signing after the auction, describing Babar as one of the headline additions to their Season 5 squad. He will join the franchise for the tournament, which begins in November.

Few expected the Pakistan superstar to leave the auction without a new chapter. Now it is official.

Four More Pakistan Players Find Teams

Babar was not the only Pakistan name heading to the ILT20.

Desert Vipers picked Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan, with all three eventually landing $80,000 deals.

Fakhar and Naseem were both listed in the $80,000 bracket, while Shadab entered the auction at a $40,000 base price before finishing with an $80,000 deal from the Vipers.

That gives Desert Vipers four Pakistan internationals from the auction.

Then came Usman Tariq.

The spinner initially went unsold, but Abu Dhabi Knight Riders returned to the Pakistan option later in the process and picked him for his $80,000 base price. Tariq had already featured for Desert Vipers previously and also played nine matches for Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2026 CPL, taking 10 wickets.

That one turn of events made his auction day rather interesting.

Pakistan Players at ILT20 Season 5

Player	Team	Price	Auction Note
Babar Azam	Desert Vipers	$80,000	First ILT20 season
Fakhar Zaman	Desert Vipers	$80,000	Returns to Vipers
Naseem Shah	Desert Vipers	$80,000	Returns to Vipers
Shadab Khan	Desert Vipers	$80,000	Rose from $40,000 base
Usman Tariq	Abu Dhabi Knight Riders	$80,000	Picked after initially going unsold

The final list means five Pakistan players found teams from the auction. Four will wear the Desert Vipers colours, while Usman Tariq will join Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

Other Pakistan players were part of the wider auction pool, including Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, Maaz Sadaqat, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim and Hunain Shah. Hasan Ali and Hasan Nawaz went without bids, while several other registered names were not called during the auction.

What This Means for Babar

The Pakistan players ILT20 story now gives Babar another major franchise opportunity outside Pakistan.

His move to Desert Vipers also puts him alongside familiar faces. Fakhar, Naseem and Shadab will all be in the same dressing room, giving the franchise a sizeable Pakistan contingent heading into Season 5.

For Babar himself, the focus will soon shift from the auction room to the middle.

The price is settled. The team is confirmed. Now comes the part everyone will be watching: Babar Azam's first ILT20 campaign. And that could be the most interesting chapter yet.