A blistering half-century from Pathum Nissanka was the cornerstone of the Gulf Giants' successful chase as they defeated the Dubai Capitals by four wickets in the International League T20 (ILT20) Season 4. The victory, achieved with seven balls to spare, marks the Giants' second consecutive win, propelling them to the top of the tournament standings.
Nissanka and Vince Forge Match-Winning Partnership
The Giants' pursuit of a 161-run target got off to a shaky start with the early dismissal of Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 9 runs. However, the momentum swung decisively in the fourth over when Pathum Nissanka launched a brutal assault on bowler James Neesham, hammering three sixes and a four. This explosive start powered the Giants to 60/1 at the end of the powerplay.
Nissanka continued his dominant display, racing to a 23-ball fifty on his way to a spectacular 67 runs off just 31 deliveries. His innings was studded with six fours and five sixes. At the other end, captain James Vince played the perfect anchor, remaining unbeaten on 50 from 45 balls. Together, they stitched a crucial 97-run partnership in just 60 balls, which ultimately proved to be the difference.
Capitals' Innings: A Tale of Missed Opportunities
Earlier, after being asked to bat, the Dubai Capitals posted a competitive but ultimately insufficient total of 160/7. Opener Sediqullah Atal provided a brisk start with 35 off 25 balls, sharing a 61-run stand with David Willey (29 off 28). However, the innings lost steam in the middle overs, managing only 18 runs between the 10th and 14th overs as Willey and Gulbadin Naib fell in quick succession.
A late revival came from Jordan Cox, who smashed 31 off 17 balls, and James Neesham (16* off 13), adding 41 runs for the sixth wicket. Skipper Dasun Shanaka provided a final flourish with an unbeaten 23 off just nine balls, including two sixes in the final over. The standout bowler for the Giants was Azmatullah Omarzai, whose figures of 3/46 included the key wickets of Cox and Rovman Powell (0) in the 18th over, stifling the Capitals' late charge.
Captains Reflect on the Contest
Gulf Giants captain Moeen Ali praised his team's ability to win while believing they could perform even better. "We squeezed them with the ball in the middle overs," Ali said. He reserved special praise for his match-winners, stating, "Nissanka is a brilliant player and one of the top players in every format. Vince is also a quality player. He just did the job and played the situation well."
Acknowledging the brilliance of the opposition, Dubai Capitals captain Dasun Shanaka highlighted Nissanka's form. "Nissanka’s in the form of his life. He's amazing because he is so small, and yet he hits the ball so far. He's going to give trouble to a lot of teams," he said. Shanaka also pointed to his team's batting intent in the middle phase as an area for improvement, suggesting that better strike rotation could have led to a bigger total.
The Gulf Giants, now sitting at the summit of the ILT20 table, will look to continue their winning momentum, while the Dubai Capitals will aim to rectify their mistakes in the upcoming fixtures of the tournament.
