In the ongoing ILT20 Season 3, Dubai Capitals secured a last-ball victory against the Desert Vipers on Wednesday and managed to seal their place in the final. In a nail-biting thriller that transpired at the Dubai International Stadium, it was Gulbadin Naib who starred both with the bat and ball, hitting a third consecutive half-century against the Vipers alongside taking two wickets.
Talking about the game, Alex Hales smashed a brilliant 67 runs off just 32 balls, putting a 98-run partnership with Max Holden to give the Vipers a solid start. But then, the Capitals retaliated with the ball, bundling out the Vipers to 189/7.
While chasing a target, Dubai Capitals had a decent powerplay where they made 47 runs without losing any wickets. Adam Rossington smashed Sam Curran for three boundaries in the fifth over. The likes of Gulbadin Naib and skipper Sam Billings were supposed to finish the run chase and the duo did the same. The Capitals needed 12 runs in the last over and Naib luckily hit six runs off the first two balls. Sikandar Raza hammered a boundary on the last ball to seal the run chase after the dismissal of Naib.
“That partnership was definitely the turning point of our innings. Even after the unfortunate run-out, Sam’s words were encouraging. He told me to finish the game, and that positive conversation motivated me even more to see it through”, Naib said.
“This tournament has been excellent preparation for the bigger events ahead, including the Champions Trophy. While reaching the final wasn’t easy, we know the final will be even more challenging. After making it to back-to-back finals, we’re determined to lift the trophy this time”, he added.
Brief Scores: Desert Vipers 189/7 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 67, Max Holden 36, Dan Lawrence 35, Gulbadin Naib 2 for 25, Qais Ahmad 2 for 29) lost to Dubai Capitals 193/5 in 20 overs (Gulbadin Naib 62, Adam Rossington 44, Sam Billings 38, Lockie Ferguson 2 for 32, David Payne 1 for 31)
