The Desert Vipers is a professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that plays in the Emirati International League T20 (ILT20). It was one of six teams that were announced for the inaugural season (2023); it was founded in 2022 and is owned by Lancer Capital LLC.
The team's chief executive officer is Phil Oliver; the cricket director is Tom Moody. The team is coached by James Foster and captained by Lockie Ferguson. The Vipers were runners-up in the inaugural season of the tournament, finished 5th in Season 2, were runners-up again in Season 3, and finally the champions in Season 4.
In August 2022, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) announced the establishment of the International League T20, to be started in 2023. The teams for the competition, representing three different cities of the United Arab Emirates, and three general teams which were not tied exclusively to one city, were put up for auction in the UAE in September 2022. The franchise was purchased by Manchester United FC CEO Avram Glazer. The team unveiled their name Desert Vipers, logo and jersey in January 2023, through their social media handles.