In a league of T20 leagues, with one vying for the best spot in the calendar with another, one tussling with another to attract the best players, small little details matter. A robust team structure and ownership does. The level of competition does too. The weather plays a big role. The salaries, obviously, make a difference. And then there are minute aspects which make a competition unique.
UAE’s ILT20 (International League T20) has understood, and implemented, that from the word go. Besides offering stiff competition and lucrative deals, the competition has focused on the idea to do things differently and not have a run of the mill approach.
The idea is encapsulated by the awards for the highest run-scorers, wicket-takers over the course of the tournament and then the MVP, best UAE player and the winning team’s owner at the conclusion. For the first two, IPL has been using the Orange and Purple Cap. Winners in American sports are presented with special rings. Olympics and European football goes the medal route.
ILT20 rewards its winners with a special belt, akin to what they do in the WWE. And as made clear by the objective, it is no run of the mill stuff. The base plate of the belt is made of strong metal and is gold plated. It weighs 7.5 kgs and measures about 5-foot-7 in size.
“We’ve had players who have become very excited about it, Azam Khan loved it. Even Robin Uthappa, who was the first one to win the belt in the league in season one. He also loved it. And I think that actually made it viral. A lot of people started saying, ‘oh why are they giving wrestling belts in cricket‘ but our question was, ‘why not?’,” said Venkatesh Sridhar, Head of Strategy and Planning for ILT20, in an exclusive conversation with TimesofIndia.com.
Made by Wildcat Belts in the USA, the company behind the famed WWE titles, there is further thought on the awards. The green belt goes to the highest scorer, the white belt to the highest wicket-taker, the black belt to the owner of the winning side, the red belt to the MVP. The inspiration for the colours comes from the UAE flag.
A further blue belt was introduced to appreciate the best UAE player. The colour, in this case, was inspired by the ILT20 logo.
ILT20 rewards its best with black, red, green, white and blue belts. (Image: ILT20)
England’s Chris Jordan won two belts in the inaugural season for being the best bowler and the MVP. Muhammad Waseem is also a two-time belt holder, winning the accolade for being the best UAE player.
The extensive thought process on gratification is not limited to belts. The ILT20 trophy, designed by Thomas Lyte in the UK, is a significant piece.
Standing at 830mm, it is a homage to the 830m tall Burj Khalifa. It weighs 12.2kgs, in respect of the UAE’s National Day which falls on 2 December. The crown has seven sand dunes, representing the seven Emirates. On the neck is a hand engraving of Jebel Jais, the tallest peak in the UAE. The trophy handles symbolise the teardrop shape of a falcon’s (the national bird) torso as it descends to catch its prey. The pendant on the trophy acknowledges the fans. And, finally, at the base is a secret chamber for the pendant – which is opened at the conclusion of the tournament by the winning team’s owner.
“For us it was a matter of pride that they (Thomas Lyte) said that it was one of the most detailed and in-depth design definitions that they got from somebody, like the specifications that we gave, or the thought process behind it,” stated Sridhar on the trophy that went through 80 major revisions.
ILT20 trophy has been won by Gulf Giants and MI Emirates in the first two seasons. (Image: ILT20)
In the first two seasons, Gulf Giants and MI Emirates have gone on and lifted the trophy. They’ve been presented with replicas which cost roughly £87,000 as against the original which goes at £120,000. “It does not have a secret chamber, that is the only difference. It comes with the pendant already stuck on it. And the reason for that was that when you’re moving the trophy around, the magnet cannot really latch on. But after five (titles), you get the original.”
The winning team players are rewarded with pendants, made in Canada, that they can wear on their chains. It comes in at 156 grams to go with 156 grams of a cricket ball. It is studded with 240 diamond pieces representing 240 balls in a T20 match.
“The idea behind it was basically, instead of people asking, ‘how many trophies you have?’ Just like in North American sports, they ask, ‘how many rings do you have?’ Eventually, over a period of time, we want people to start asking the question, ‘how many ILT20 pendants do you have?’ And instead of saying that ‘I’m a five-time champion’ they can say ‘we’ve won the pendant five times’. We hope that players can start to wear it, flaunt it, walk around showing it,” explained Sridhar.
With the 2025 season due to begin on 11 January, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriors will once again pick up and vie for the elaborate trophy, belts and pendants.
