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This time, in the wake of the Season 5 auction that took place at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on the 1st of October, we speak with Vipers Analyst Freddie Wilde as he takes us behind the curtain of what auction preparations and the event itself look like from the perspective of a franchise looking to secure the best talent available.

It’s a terrific insight into what goes on within a set-up both before and during an auction and it’s well worth your time.

The fact the auction has taken place really is a starting gun for the race towards Season 5, which is due to get underway in the third week of November and in fact, as we were going live with this podcast, the fixtures for the new season have been announced, with the Vipers beginning the title defence with a repeat of last season’s final, against MI Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday the 21st of November.

The Vipers have 10 group matches, two each against the five other teams, finishing up with a match against Gulf Giants, again in Dubai, on Sunday the 13th of December. The finals series then kicks in from December the 16th, with the final in Dubai on Sunday the 20th.

As ever here on Vipers Voices, we’ll keep you up to date with all the latest news within the Vipers camp as the clock ticks down towards that start.

Something else that has come out since our previous podcast is a renewal of the Vipers’ deal with JA Resorts, a place where the team has stayed throughout the history of the DP World ILT20.

The bonus in this renewal is that JA now has its own dedicated state-of-the-art facility right on the doorstep of the team hotel and that’s something that is already offering significant value to the Vipers as a home for the Talent Pathway Programme, which is now in its second year of operation. And the players selected in the auction will get the benefit of those facilities when they start gathering in mid-November ahead of Season 5 as the Vipers attempt to become the first side to win back-to-back DP World ILT20 titles.

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Straight after the player auction for Season 5 off the DP World ILT20, we were joined by Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver and Director of Cricket Tom Moody with their reaction to the squad assembled for the defense of the title.

It includes three of the four UAE players were played a role in that Season 4 success, plus Pakistan stars Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman.

Season 5 starts in mid-November.

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This time we have a bumper episode for you as we wrap up the ILT20 Development Tournament, the event that saw UAE players given the opportunity to showcase their talent before next month’s DP World ILT20 auction ahead of Season 5.

The side representing the Desert Vipers finished as runners-up for the second successive season, losing out in the final to the Gulf Giants team by four wickets.

Coming up we hear from Jack Luffman, the Desert Vipers’ Development Lead, who was head coach of the team at the Development Tournament, as well as Vriitya Aravind, who was captain of the side.

And we also hear from two of the Vipers squad who are part of the Desert Vipers’ Talent Pathway Programme (TPP) – Punya Bhatia and Ayaan Misbah. They give us their reflections on the value of the Development Tournament as part of their growth as players.

And there’s good news for Ayaan as he’s been named in the UAE senior squad for the first time off the back of the Development Tournament, for the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 series event in the USA featuring not only the hosts but also Namibia, with those matches taking place in Dallas from October the 3rd to the 11th. Ayaan’s inclusion is a tremendous achievement for the 17 year-old batter and also a source of pride for the Vipers given Ayaan’s participation in the Talent Pathway Programme.

Ayaan becomes the second TPP player to be selected for a senior UAE side after Janani Thirukkumaran, who debuted for the women's national team in June of this year.

Also in the latest UAE men's squad are fast bowler Khuzaima bin Tanveer, such a key player for the Vipers in the title-winning DP World ILT20 Season 4, and former Vipers Ali Naseer and Tanish Suri.

A reminder, too, that the auction ahead of DP World ILT20 Season 5 takes place on Thursday the 1st of October in Dubai and we’ll be here, on Vipers Voices, afterwards, with all the reaction to the bidding and with details of who the Vipers will have in their squad as the franchise attempts to become the first team to defend the DP World ILT20 title.

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In this episode we look back at the final of the ILT20 Development Tournament, that wrapped up at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Thursday evening, the 24th of September.

Sadly, it was a step too far for Vriitya Aravind’s side as they lost by four wickets to the Gulf Giants, but it was a terrific match to cap a fantastic competition that showcased the very best of UAE talent ahead of the DP World ILT20 player auction at the start of October.

After we recap on the final, we hear from Desert Vipers Development Lead Jack Luffman, the team’s head coach for the tournament, with his reflections on the ultimate match and the event as a whole.

It’s worth saying at this juncture too that the Vipers’ side’s appearance in the Development Tournament final means that it’s four domestic finals in a row for the franchise – two in the DP World ILT20 and now two in the Development Tournament – and that’s a pretty impressive effort by any measure.

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In this episode we look back on the Vipers’ team’s semi-final against the Sharjah Warriorz, at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Wednesday evening, the 23th of September. And it was another back-from-the-dead victory for Vriitya Aravind’s side, by 25 runs, which means they are in Thursday night’s final against the Gulf Giants.

We hear from head coach Jack Luffman, the Desert Vipers' Development Lead, who gives us his perspective on another remarkable night of action.

The Gulf Giants team, the Vipers’ opponents in the ultimate match, were the leading line-up in the league stage with four wins from their five matches, and they brushed aside the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders side in the first semi-, winning by six wickets with a remarkable 23 balls in hand, chasing 172 to win.

As for the Vipers, they ended up facing the Warriorz after finishing third in the league stage, while the Warriorz were second – both teams ended up on six points from three wins and two losses, but the Warriorz were ahead thanks to net run-rate.

In the semi-final, the Vipers made 171 for nine batting first and, in reply, the Warriorz made 146, also for nine wickets.

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In this episode we look back on an incredible victory for the Vipers side in their final league match of the tournament – a must win game against the Dubai Capitals at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Monday evening, the 21th of September – and that includes hearing from the Vipers’ Development Lead and Head Coach for this tournament, Jack Luffman.

The Vipers scored 191 for nine batting first only for the Capitals to fly out of the traps in response, racing to 93 without loss in just the eighth over and seemingly on course for a win that would have sent them through to the semi-finals and, at the same time, knocked out the Vipers.

But remarkably, the Vipers then took all 10 Capitals wickets for just 37 runs in a little over six overs to secure a 61-run win as the Capitals were bowled out for 130 in 14 overs.

It means the Vipers now have a day to rest before Wednesday’s semi-final with the prospect of a second successive final in this competition now just one match away.

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In this episode we look back on a defeat for the Vipers side, at the hands of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders team, by 88 runs at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Sunday evening, the 20th of September.

The ADKR side raced to 196 for eight batting first and the Vipers replied with 108 all out from 15.5 overs.

It’s a result that leaves the Vipers outside the top four places on net run-rate – and with the top four going into the semi-finals, it means the next match, against the side immediately above them, the Dubai Capitals, has become, in effect a quarter-final.

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In this episode we reflect upon the Vipers side’s third match of the Development Tournament, this time against Gulf Giants, and it’s produced a second Vipers victory, this time by four wickets with three overs in hand. We hear from the Desert Vipers’ Development Lead, Jack Luffman, the Vipers’ head coach for these matches, as he gives us his take on the game.

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