Sharjah: MI Emirates produced a clinical all-round performance on Friday night at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, defeating the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by seven wickets in Qualifier 2 to secure their place in the final of the International League T20 (ILT20) Season 4. They will now face the Desert Vipers in the summit clash scheduled for January 4 at the Dubai International Stadium.
Bowlers Set Up Dominant Victory
After winning the toss and opting to field, MI Emirates' bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance, restricting the Knight Riders to a modest total of 120 for 8 in their 20 overs. The powerplay set the tone, with the Knight Riders struggling to 31/2, losing openers Michael Pepper and Brandon McMullen early.
The spin duo, led by the impressive Allah Ghazanfar (3/24), applied relentless pressure in the middle overs. Ghazanfar's triple strike, including two wickets in the 18th over, was pivotal. Muhammad Rohid (2/19) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/30) provided crucial support. For the Knight Riders, only Alishan Sharafu stood firm, scoring an unbeaten 50 off 40 balls, with Alex Hales (29) being the other notable contributor in a faltering innings.
Banton and Shakib Master the Chase
In response, MI Emirates faced early pressure, losing Andre Fletcher in the second over and crawling to 26/1 at the end of the powerplay. However, the chase was expertly anchored by the in-form Tom Banton and given explosive impetus by the experienced Shakib Al Hasan.
After Muhammad Waseem's dismissal, Shakib joined Banton and the pair transformed the innings with a match-winning partnership. They added 82 runs off just 53 balls, decisively shifting the momentum. Shakib targeted Liam Livingstone in the 12th over, smashing a six and two fours to collect 17 runs. Banton, playing the anchor role to perfection, brought up his half-century off 49 balls and remained unbeaten on 62 off 53 deliveries.
Although Shakib fell for a brisk 38 off 24 balls, the damage was done. MI Emirates comfortably reached the target of 121 in 16.1 overs, winning with 23 balls to spare.
Road to the Final and Player Reactions
This victory books MI Emirates' second final appearance in the four-season history of the ILT20. They will now aim to go one better than their previous attempt when they take on the Desert Vipers.
Player of the Match, Shakib Al Hasan, credited the bowlers and highlighted his batting approach. "It was a crucial game for us, and winning the toss helped. The bowlers were outstanding and kept picking up wickets, which made the difference. With the bat, the focus was on batting time and managing overs, especially against the spinners. That was my role today. In pressure games, losing wickets makes it very hard to recover," he said.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders skipper Jason Holder acknowledged the challenging conditions. "It was a challenging wicket early on, and we struggled to build momentum. Still, considering where we were midway through the tournament, I thought it was a solid effort overall. We came up short tonight, but the commitment throughout the campaign was excellent," Holder stated.
Brief Scores:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: 120/8 in 20 overs (Alishan Sharafu 50*, Alex Hales 29; Allah Ghazanfar 3/24, Muhammad Rohid 2/19).
MI Emirates: 120/3 in 16.1 overs (Tom Banton 62*, Shakib Al Hasan 38; Ajay Kumar 2/13).
