David Payne

Profile details

FULL NAME

David Payne

TEAMS

Desert Vipers

The left-arm swing bowler

Payne is a left-arm fast-medium bowler who bats left-handed, and he has been one of the most consistent white-ball bowlers in English domestic cricket for more than a decade. He plays for Gloucestershire, where he has taken hundreds of wickets in the T20 Blast, and he has played in The Hundred for Welsh Fire.

His game is built on swing and smarts rather than pace: he moves the new ball both ways, bowls clever variations at the death, and has a yorker that has troubled some of the best batters in the world. The Vipers bought him at the Season 5 auction to add left-arm variety to a pace attack led by Naseem Shah, and his experience of bowling in English conditions — where the ball swings — translates well to the UAE, where the new ball has often moved early.

Career so far

Payne came through Gloucestershire's academy and made his debut in 2009, establishing himself as the county's white-ball spearhead. He has taken more than 200 T20 wickets in English domestic cricket and has been a regular in The Hundred since its first season.

He has played ODI cricket for England, making his debut in 2022 against Netherlands, and he has been part of England's white-ball squads. His death bowling has been a feature of his game for a decade, and his yorker is one of the best in the county game. The ILT20 is his first major overseas franchise league, and it is a natural step for a 35-year-old who has mastered his craft.

The pace attack around him

The champions' pace attack has everything: Naseem's speed, Tanveer's 17 title-season wickets, Safi's 140kph and Ahmadzai's rise — and Payne's role is to be the left-armer — the bowler who swings the new ball, takes wickets in the powerplay, and gives the captain a different angle. Against right-hand-heavy top orders, a left-arm quick who moves the ball both ways is worth his weight, and Payne has done it for a decade in England. If the Vipers need control at the start, Payne is the man.

What’s next

Payne's season starts with the title defence: the opener against MI Emirates on 21 November in Dubai, a repeat of the Season 4 final. The full list of every ILT20 fixture is on the ILT20 Schedule.

• Match 1 — MI Emirates: Saturday 21 November 2026, 6:30 PM GST, Dubai.
• Match 4 — Sharjah Warriorz: Monday 23 November 2026, evening session, Sharjah.
• Match 6 — Dubai Capitals: Wednesday 25 November 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 9 — MI Emirates: Saturday 28 November 2026, afternoon session, Abu Dhabi.
• Match 12 — Gulf Giants: Sunday 29 November 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 15 — Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Wednesday 2 December 2026, afternoon session, Abu Dhabi.
• Match 18 — Sharjah Warriorz: Friday 4 December 2026, evening session, Sharjah.
• Match 21 — Dubai Capitals: Sunday 6 December 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 27 — Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Saturday 12 December 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 29 — Gulf Giants: Sunday 13 December 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Playoffs: Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 16 December, the Eliminator on Wednesday 17 December, Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December, and the final on Sunday 20 December in Dubai.

Follow every ILT20 result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.