The Desert Vipers signed Afghan player Noor Ahmad for the fourth season of the ILT20 on Wednesday.The 20-year-old will replace Wanindu Hasaranga as the Sri Lankan all-rounder is expected to have domestic commitments during the tournament.“I am excited about this opportunity and very grateful for the confidence the team’s coaches and management staff have placed in me, especially Tom Moody and James Foster,” Noor said.“The Vipers have a fantastic team, full of top quality players in all departments, and I can’t wait to get to Dubai and start the tournament.”Earlier this year in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Noor took 24 wickets for Super Kings of Chennaimaking him the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament, just one behind Prasidh Krishna of Gujarat Titans.Noor was also named the 2024 Caribbean Premier League Player of the Tournament, topping the wicket-taking charts with 22 scalps for maiden winners St Lucia Kings.He was capped by Afghanistan in both white-ball international formats, playing 13 one-day internationals (ODIs) and 22 Twenty20 internationals (T20Is) for his country.Noor was part of the squads for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA in 2024 and the Asia Cup in the UAE in 2025.His T20I economy rate is an exceptional 6.08 runs per over.Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody said: “We are delighted to have retained the services of Noor Ahmad, who is clearly one of the leading spin bowlers in world cricket today.
Survey
Do you think Noor Ahmad will be a valuable addition to the Desert Vipers this season?
“We are obviously sad to miss Wanindu Hasaranga, as he has been a Viper since day one. He is an exceptional all-round cricketer, and we know what the Vipers mean to him.“But Noor’s wealth of experience across the world in franchise cricket will definitely be something we benefit from.“Additionally, his familiarity with the UAE and DP World ILT20 venues puts him in a strong position and will add significant value to the franchise.“Noor joins two other Afghan cricketers we secured in the recent auction – Qais Ahmad and Faridoon Dawoodzai – so we are delighted to complete a hat-trick of Afghan players representing us in the fourth season of ILT20.”
