Any new tournament can take time to establish itself – particularly in a field as congested as cricket’s Twenty20 format. But some do so almost immediately, through force of personality and the quality of the on-field product. This is certainly true of the DP World International League T20. And as the Thomas Lyte-designed and made trophy prepares to be handed to the winners for the first time, the tournament’s silverware should also soon carve out its own niche in the competition’s folklore.
Handcrafted by Thomas Lyte’s master silversmiths and goldsmiths, and chosen out of 28 different concepts, the winner’s trophy promises to become one of the most instantly recognisable in cricket – immediately establishing itself alongside the iconic ICC World Test Championship Mace and the trophies for the men’s and women’s T20 World Cup.
For Thomas Lyte, working with a tournament and a partner so intent on shaking up the sporting world, was an opportunity to express our passion for looking beyond traditional horizons. We know that this vision is shared by the players and owners involved in the tournament’s inaugural year.
Originally slated to begin in 2022, the postponing of the tournament for 12 months merely served to further whet the appetite of the spectators who have been pouring through the gates to watch some of the cricket world’s most exciting talent perform.
It has truly been a global gathering, with players from all four corners of the sporting globe battling to be the first side to get their hands on a trophy that mirrors the surroundings the players have found themselves in since arriving in the UAE.
𝙲ʀᴀꜰᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴄʜᴀᴍᴘɪᴏɴ𝚜 – 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝙿 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳 𝙸𝙻𝚃𝟸0 🏆
From conceptualizing to finish and bringing the trophy to life, here's a peek at the creation of the iconic trophy. #ALeagueApart @ThomasLyte pic.twitter.com/oMGCqiVlkf
— International League T20 (@ILT20Official) February 7, 2023
The eye for detail of our in-house design team and world-class custom trophy makers matches that of the coaches that have fine-tuned these players over the past month. Every conceivable detail has been covered.
The trophy itself is directly proportional to Dubai’s world-renowned Burj Khalifa – standing 830mm high. It may be dwarfed by the hotel itself, which towers over the city at 830m in height, but its stature is still hugely impressive.
Elsewhere on the trophy, Thomas Lyte’s design features make this a truly unique piece of silverware, with its body shaped in the teardrop-shaped image of a falcon, in a dive. The national bird of the UAE is a hugely significant figure in this part of the Middle East – those watching on from their perches or up in the sky circling the host grounds of the IL20, will doubtless have been impressed by the soaring sixes scored during a month-long run bonanza.
The bottom of each handle is marked with a feather motif, while a striking 24-carat gold section around the trophy’s neck has been hand-spun and sandblasted to resemble a sand dune – a nod to the region’s famous Tel Moreeb dunes in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra.
These features may be missed in the initial excitement of lifting the trophy following Sunday’s final but, in the quiet of the post-match dressing room, these details should become far clearer to the wide-eyed champions.
T20 cricket is all about big hits, clever bowling, and electric fielding – three elements of the game that the shortest format has helped to hone since it was introduced in 2002. It’s also about magnificent pieces of silverware which reflect the sweat and toil that goes into coming out on top after competitions that test the world’s best players to their maximum.
The final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium will be the 34th match of a breathless tournament. The Desert Vipers have cleared their path to the final without the need for an eliminator. They can put their feet up and dream of lifting one of the world’s most beautiful trophies in front of a huge global audience. Another lucky team will join them for Sunday’s finale.
The rest? Well, they’ll have to wait another 12 months before they can try again.
Read about our press mentions and awards for the project
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