The Dubai Capitals registered a commanding 83-run victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20, securing their first win of the tournament's fourth season on Friday. The win was built on the back of a spectacular, unbeaten 96 by West Indian powerhouse Rovman Powell.
Powell and Cox Stage Stunning Recovery
After being put into bat, the Dubai Capitals found themselves in early trouble. Their top order faltered, with openers Toby Albert and Sediqullah Atal managing only 8 runs each. The situation worsened when veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, playing his landmark 300th T20 match, struck with his very first delivery to dismiss Shayan Jahangir (14). At 43 for 3 in the powerplay, the Capitals were reeling.
However, a brilliant 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Jordan Cox and Rovman Powell completely shifted the momentum. Cox played a vital supporting role, scoring a fluent 52 off just 32 balls. But the innings belonged to Powell. The West Indian captain unleashed a devastating assault, hammering eight fours and four sixes in his 52-ball stay to finish on 96 not out. His explosive knock propelled the Capitals to a competitive total of 186 for 4 in their 20 overs.
Knight Riders' Chase Crumbles Under Early Pressure
The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' pursuit never got off the ground, crumbling under immediate pressure from the Dubai bowlers. English pacer David Willey set the tone, removing the dangerous Alex Hales for a duck and Alishan Sharafu for 4 in the very first over of the chase.
Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman compounded the misery by clean bowling Unmukt Chand for a golden duck, leaving the Knight Riders in tatters at 10 for 3. Wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt tried to mount a counter-attack with a 21-ball 27, but his dismissal left the team struggling at 44 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.
Spin Duo Seals Comprehensive Victory
Andre Russell provided a brief flicker of hope, smashing two huge sixes, but he fell for 12 to Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil. From there, the Knight Riders' innings fell apart. The spin combination of Salamkheil and Mohammed Nabi applied a stranglehold, with both taking two wickets each while being extremely economical.
The lower order offered little resistance as the Knight Riders were bowled out for just 103 runs in 15.3 overs. Salamkheil was the pick of the bowlers with impressive figures of 4 for 29, well-supported by Willey (2/13) and Nabi (2/12). The comprehensive nature of the win gives Dubai Capitals a significant boost in net run rate early in the tournament.
Brief Scores: Dubai Capitals 186/4 in 20 overs (Rovman Powell 96*, Jordan Cox 52; Jason Holder 2/30) beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 103 in 15.3 overs (Phil Salt 27; Waqar Salamkheil 4/29, David Willey 2/13) by 83 runs.
