Desert Vipers outclass Dubai Capitals to secure ILT20 playoffs

The Desert Vipers booked their place in the DP World ILT20 Season 4 playoffs with a five-wicket win over the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. It was also a moment of history for the Vipers, who became the first team has to win six consecutive matches in the DP World ILT20.

After the Capitals posted a challenging 166/4, the Vipers rode on the all-round performance of Sam Curran to seal the win. He took two crucial wickets with the balls, and followed it up with an unbeaten 52 off 33 balls, smashing two fours and three sixes.

Max Holden (34 off 22) set the tempo early, with Fakhar Zaman (14 off 12) providing brief support before Mustafizur Rahman struck in the fifth over to take his wicket. Despite the breakthrough, Holden kept his cool, allowing the Vipers to reach 50/1 at the end of the powerplay.

Haider Ali then struck in the seventh over to stem the flow of the runs, but Hassan Nawaz (31 off 17) went on the offensive, hitting two sixes in the ninth over. He looked dangerous but Waqar Salamkheil struck to end his stay at the crease. Following this wicket, the Vipers needed 79 runs in 60 balls by the end of the 10th over.

Curran and Dan Lawrence (20 off 15) took control in the middle overs, keeping the Desert Vipers ahead of the required rate. The duo stitched a partnership of 32 runs in just 24 balls, before Lawrence fell in the 14th over off Dasun Shanaka’s bowling.

Then, Shimron Hetmyer (18 off 17) wasted little time in making his impact, launching Shanaka for a six and following it up with a boundary in the 14th over. With Curran anchoring one end and Hetmyer joining the assault, the Vipers surged to the victory with five wickets to spare.

Earlier, the Capitals suffered an early setback when Naseem Shah removed Shayan Jahangir (7 off 7) in the third over, but Leus du Plooy (54 off 44) kept the innings steady with well-timed boundaries. Gulbadin Naib (21 off 20) began cautiously at the other end before benefiting from a boundary off Lockie Ferguson, as the Capitals negotiated a testing powerplay to reach 35/1.

Du Plooy continued to anchor the innings through the middle overs, bringing up his half-century with a six off Naseem, while Naib gradually found rhythm and chipped in with boundaries. Just as the partnership threatened to accelerate, Noor Ahmad broke through with a clever googly to dismiss Naib and apply the brakes once again.

The turning point came in the 14th over, when Curran removed du Plooy in the deep and then dismissed Rovman Powell for a golden duck off the very next ball. Those back-to-back wickets stalled the Capitals at 94/4 and swung momentum firmly back towards the bowling side.

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However, Jordan Cox (49* off 30) and Dasun Shanaka (29* off 18) revived the innings with a brisk, unbroken stand of 72 off 40 balls. Their late assault, including 30 runs from the final two overs and 14 off the last, lifted the Capitals to a competitive 166/4.