The Desert Vipers have signed Afghanistan wrist spinner Noor Ahmad for season four of the DP World ILT20. The left-armer, 20, will step in for Wanindu Hasaranga, with the Sri Lankan all-rounder expected to have domestic commitments during the tournament.
Despite his age, Noor brings with him vast experience of franchise cricket around the world and will be a significant asset to the Vipers during the upcoming campaign.
That experience includes the latest edition of the Indian Premier League where he took 24 wickets for Chennai Super Kings, making him the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, one wicket behind Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna.
Noor was also player of the tournament in the 2024 Caribbean Premier League where he topped the wicket-taking table with 22 victims for first-time winners St Lucia Kings.
Season four of the DP World ILT20 will be Noor’s second time in the tournament as he played for the Sharjah Warriorz in season one, featuring in seven matches.
Commenting on his call-up, Noor said: “I am excited for this opportunity to play for the Desert Vipers and I am very thankful for the faith shown in me by the team’s coaching and management staff, especially Tom Moody and James Foster.
“The Vipers have a fantastic squad full of high quality in every department, and I am looking forward to being part of the group and contributing to the success of the side.
“I played in the first season of the competition and so I know what to expect from conditions and with two other Afghanistan players in the squad – fellow spinner Qais Ahmad and fast bowler Faridoon Dawoodzai – there will be some familiar faces for me as soon as I walk through the door.
“I cannot wait to get to Dubai and start the tournament.”
Noor has been capped by Afghanistan in both white ball international formats, and has played 13 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 22 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for his country.
He was part of the squads that took part in the ICC men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States of America (USA) in 2024 and the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2025.
Noor’s economy rate in T20Is is an exceptional 6.08 runs per over.
Tom Moody, the Desert Vipers Director of Cricket, said: “We are thrilled to have secured the services of Noor Ahmad, who is clearly one of the leading spin bowlers in world cricket at the moment.
“We are obviously sad to miss Wanindu Hasaranga as he has been a Viper since day one. He is an outstanding all-round cricketer, and we know what the Vipers means to him.
“But Noor’s wealth of experience around the globe in franchise cricket will certainly be something we will benefit from.
“Also, his experience of the UAE and the DP World ILT20 venues is something that will put him in a strong position and will add a lot of value to us as a franchise.
“Noor joins two other Afghanistan cricketers that we secured in the recent auction – Qais Ahmad and Faridoon Dawoodzai – so we are thrilled to complete a hat-trick of Afghanistan players representing us in season four of the DP World ILT20.”
Noor has played two seasons at the SA20, the South Africa Twenty20 competition, for the Durban Super Giants, and earlier this year he played for the Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket in the USA.
The spin bowler has also played in the Lanka Premier League, the Pakistan Super League, the Big Bash League in Australia and The Hundred in England and Wales, emphasising his global experience.
The Desert Vipers will begin their campaign in season four of the DP World ILT20 with the opening match of the tournament, against Dubai Capitals in a repeat of season three’s final. That match will take place at the Dubai International Stadium on December the 2nd.
The Desert Vipers have reached the final of the competition twice in three seasons, also playing in the ultimate match in season one.
Players recruited at the auction:
Bilal Tahir (KUW)
Faisal Khan (KSA)
Fakhar Zaman (PAK)
Faridoon Dawoodzai (AFG)
Hassan Nawaz (PAK)
Matiullah Khan (UAE)
Naseem Shah (PAK)
Sanjay Pahal (UAE)
Thomas Bruce (SCO)
Tawanda Muyeye (ENG)
Vriitya Aravind (UAE)
Qais Ahmad (AFG)
Retained players:
Lockie Ferguson (capt) (NZ)
Dan Lawrence (ENG)
David Payne (ENG
Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (UAE)
Max Holden (ENG)
Sam Curran (ENG)
Direct Signing:
Andries Gous (USA)
Wild card signing:
Shimron Hetmyer (WI)
Replacement signing (for Wanindu Hasaranga):
Noor Ahmad (AFG)
