The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is in the final stages of planning a new flagship T20 tournament for the UAE, which they hope will attract top Indian cricketers.

The likes of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni could take part in the new cricket league, as the ECB seeks a deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The ECB’s vice chairman, Khalid Al Zarooni, described the new league as the governing body’s flagship tournament.

“A long-term goal and vision of the board has been to own and to deliver an international-standard T20 league, one we have remained exceptionally committed to.”

Previous attempts to establish a T20 league for December 2018 fell through despite the involvement of leading cricketers such as AB de Villiers and Eoin Morgan.

Only two of the five planned franchises were sold and the scheme faced opposition from the Pakistan Cricket Board, which was concerned about competition with its own events in the UAE.

The Pakistan Super League traditionally plays matches in the UAE, but the 2020 season will be hosted entirely in Pakistan for the first time.

This, combined with a lighter cricketing calendar in the UAE, makes the ECB more confident that a T20 league is more feasible this time round.

In addition, the ECB is hoping its ties with the Indian game can strengthen the new competition’s appeal worldwide.

The ECB will announce further details of the league over the coming months.