187/8 (20.0)
CR : 9.35
196/5 (20.0)
CR : 9.80
Dubai Capitals won by 9 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Shayan Jahangir
99(54)
Over 20
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 187/8
Andre Russell53(33)
George Garton1(2)
Muhammad Jawadullah0-16(1.0)
DC won by 9 runs
11:48 PM IST, 10:18 PM local time: Muhammad Jawadullah and the entire Dubai Capitals dugout will breathe a heavy sigh of relief. They get past an Andre Russell sized scare and win the match by 9 runs.
Though, one must laud the Jamaican for this whirlwind of a knock that sparked life into what looked like a game with foregone conclusion. He came out to bat when his side looked down and out of the contest, and unleashed his brute power hammering 4 meaty fours and 4 mighty sixes on the way to a 33-ball-53*. Alas he could not hit a couple more right till the end. Given the dewy conditions and the fact that Jawadullah had not bowled a single over in the game before that one, the defending champions must feel that they did an excellent job to forge a successful defence in the end.
For the large part, the script was not too dissimilar to what we saw unfold on last Sunday — when these two teams last faced off. Dubai Capitals batted first and were rocked early. The first 13 balls of the match produced only 4 runs and two wickets. At the end of the powerplay, the defending champions had managed a mere 32/2. Things started turning around from the 7th over when Shayan Jahangir decided to switch gears. He muscled a couple of balls off Liam Livingstone to the fence before tearing into Ibrar Ahmad Shah and George Garton in the following overs. The next six overs produced 87 runs with the wicket-keeper batter scoring the majority of them.
His shot selection was impressive and ball-striking clean. Alas, most will remember this innings for the one run he did not make rather than the sumptuous 99 he did. But that is how cricket works sometimes. He got a pinpoint Andre Russel yorker that he failed to keep out. Jordan Cox played the perfect foil in a match defining 115-run partnership. Then, Rovman Powell and Dasun Shanaka provided the finishing touches to help them to a laudable score of 196/5.
The Knight Riders' innings moved along like an old broken down car, stuttering at every kilometre of the way. Hales feathered one to the keeper, Rutherford holed out in the deep, Salt struggled to get going and Livingstone ran himself out. It was not until Sharafu hit Salamkheil for two successive sixes that the flames of hope were ignited. However, the wrist spinner came back well to finish with impressive figures of 3/34.
Even post his spell, big blows from Russell and Holder — both of whom had impressed with the ball too — kept ADKR in the hunt. But in the end, they fell short.
For the large part, the script was not too dissimilar to what we saw unfold on last Sunday — when these two teams last faced off. Dubai Capitals batted first and were rocked early. The first 13 balls of the match produced only 4 runs and two wickets. At the end of the powerplay, the defending champions had managed a mere 32/2. Things started turning around from the 7th over when Shayan Jahangir decided to switch gears. He muscled a couple of balls off Liam Livingstone to the fence before tearing into Ibrar Ahmad Shah and George Garton in the following overs. The next six overs produced 87 runs with the wicket-keeper batter scoring the majority of them.
His shot selection was impressive and ball-striking clean. Alas, most will remember this innings for the one run he did not make rather than the sumptuous 99 he did. But that is how cricket works sometimes. He got a pinpoint Andre Russel yorker that he failed to keep out. Jordan Cox played the perfect foil in a match defining 115-run partnership. Then, Rovman Powell and Dasun Shanaka provided the finishing touches to help them to a laudable score of 196/5.
The Knight Riders' innings moved along like an old broken down car, stuttering at every kilometre of the way. Hales feathered one to the keeper, Rutherford holed out in the deep, Salt struggled to get going and Livingstone ran himself out. It was not until Sharafu hit Salamkheil for two successive sixes that the flames of hope were ignited. However, the wrist spinner came back well to finish with impressive figures of 3/34.
Even post his spell, big blows from Russell and Holder — both of whom had impressed with the ball too — kept ADKR in the hunt. But in the end, they fell short.
11:58 PM IST and 10:28 PM Local Time: Alan Wilkins is ready with the post-match ceremony...
Dispatch of the Day: Rovman Powell
Jason Holder (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Captain): "It was a close game. Credit to the boys for the fight they put up tonight. I thought we showed a lot of character, especially with the bat. The guys believed till the end.
We have seen improvements game by game. We need to stick together. If we lose belief, we might as well pack our bags and go home earlier than expected. So, we have just got to keep that belief going, keep that hunger and passion, and see if we can pull each other together to a win."
We have seen improvements game by game. We need to stick together. If we lose belief, we might as well pack our bags and go home earlier than expected. So, we have just got to keep that belief going, keep that hunger and passion, and see if we can pull each other together to a win."
Dasun Shanaka (Dubai Capitals Captain): "You need to be nervous when those two are at the crease. But I was very confident about my bowlers.
Jawadullah needs to be appreciated given that he had not bowled in the game before. He might have been nervous, but the plan was always that he will bowl an over or two at the death. We had that conversation before. The idea was to bowl wide of off. But it is cricket, we can't expect him to come in and bowl the final over and execute it to perfection. Thankfully, I had Nabi to help me through those moments too.
We could have done better with the bat in the powerplay, but Shayan Jahangir was outstanding later on."
Jawadullah needs to be appreciated given that he had not bowled in the game before. He might have been nervous, but the plan was always that he will bowl an over or two at the death. We had that conversation before. The idea was to bowl wide of off. But it is cricket, we can't expect him to come in and bowl the final over and execute it to perfection. Thankfully, I had Nabi to help me through those moments too.
We could have done better with the bat in the powerplay, but Shayan Jahangir was outstanding later on."
Player of the Match: Shayan Jahangir
Shayan Jahangir (POTM): "(On getting out on 99) I am just grateful for getting the opportunity to get out in the middle and contribute to the team's win. Getting back-to-back wins are important for the morale of the team.
(On Urooj Mumtaz knowing him since his early cricketing days) When I was 15, I used to play against the Pakistan women's team (chuckles).
Glad I was here and part of ILT20, representing the USA, which is now making great strides in cricket. The talent back home is amazing. We are the ones who play leagues around the world, and we are the trailblazers. We're leading the path for the youth coming forward. With these performances, USA cricket will get more recognition.
Dubai Capitals have been kind, said positive things to me, and backed my game. This is huge for me. Getting this responsibility means a lot, glad I was able to give back."
(On Urooj Mumtaz knowing him since his early cricketing days) When I was 15, I used to play against the Pakistan women's team (chuckles).
Glad I was here and part of ILT20, representing the USA, which is now making great strides in cricket. The talent back home is amazing. We are the ones who play leagues around the world, and we are the trailblazers. We're leading the path for the youth coming forward. With these performances, USA cricket will get more recognition.
Dubai Capitals have been kind, said positive things to me, and backed my game. This is huge for me. Getting this responsibility means a lot, glad I was able to give back."
Dubai Capitals have done the double over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders — they have defeated Holder and co. twice in this season. Both these teams are halfway through their campaign and with those two wins, the defending champions seem to be in a prettier position on the points table.
Both these teams will next face table toppers Desert Vipers. The Capitals will lock horns with them in less than 24 hours, while the Knight Riders will clash with them on Tuesday, December 16. Before that, tomorrow, we will see MI Emirates take on Sharjah Warriorz in an afternoon game. Do join us for it. Our coverage will begin at 2:30 PM IST (1:00 PM local time).
For now, this is the troika of Darpan Tikiya, AkshayaKrishna Polya and Zeeshan Naiyer signing off. Sayonara!
Both these teams will next face table toppers Desert Vipers. The Capitals will lock horns with them in less than 24 hours, while the Knight Riders will clash with them on Tuesday, December 16. Before that, tomorrow, we will see MI Emirates take on Sharjah Warriorz in an afternoon game. Do join us for it. Our coverage will begin at 2:30 PM IST (1:00 PM local time).
For now, this is the troika of Darpan Tikiya, AkshayaKrishna Polya and Zeeshan Naiyer signing off. Sayonara!