Dubai Capitals beat Desert Vipers in last-ball thriller to reach ILT20 final | Cricket News

Dubai Capitals triumph in last-ball thriller to reach final. (ILT20 Photo)

Dubai Capitals secured their spot in the ILT20 Season 3 final with a thrilling last-ball victory against Desert Vipers at Dubai International Stadium. The win was powered by Gulbadin Naib’s outstanding performance, including his third consecutive half-century against the Vipers and two crucial wickets.
The victory marked the second-highest successful run chase in T20s at the venue and extended the Capitals’ winning streak to five matches against the Vipers.
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Alex Hales dominated the early innings with an explosive 67 off 32 balls, forming a strong 98-run partnership with Max Holden. The Capitals’ bowling attack later restricted the Vipers to 189/7.
Dubai Capitals started their chase steadily, reaching 47 runs without loss in the powerplay. Adam Rossington showed aggression against Sam Curran with three boundaries, while Shai Hope contributed 17 runs before falling to Wanindu Hasaranga.
As it happened:Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals, ILT20 Qualifier 1
The scoring rate slowed after the powerplay, and Lockie Ferguson dismissed Rossington for 44 off 31 balls. Naib and captain Sam Billings then took charge of the chase. Billings scored a quick 38 off 16 balls before a run-out ended his innings.
Rovman Powell joined Naib with the team needing 52 runs from 30 balls. Powell scored 20 runs before David Payne dismissed him. The final over required 12 runs, with Naib managing six runs off the first two balls. Despite being dropped and later dismissed, Sikandar Raza sealed the victory with a boundary off the last ball.

The Vipers’ innings began with an early setback as Farhan Khan dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Hales and Holden then dominated the powerplay, taking the score to 64/1.
Hales reached his ninth ILT20 fifty in 28 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. The Vipers’ momentum slowed in the middle overs due to effective bowling from Haider Ali and Qais Ahmad.
The Hales-Holden partnership ended after 98 runs when Naib dismissed Hales. Holden followed shortly after, caught by Naib off Qais Ahmad’s bowling for 36 runs.
Sam Curran and Dan Lawrence adopted a cautious approach before Curran fell for 24. Lawrence made 35 runs, while Khuzaima Tanveer’s quick 15 runs in the final over helped the Vipers reach 189/7.
“When you played a good game in the past, you remind yourself of that. I was reminded of the previous fifties I got. I took some time at the start. I can play at any position. Number three now is my lucky number. I have opened as well, so I can bat anywhere. We played a lot of cricket here in Dubai. It was a pressure game, and I love pressure games. With the ball, I used the surface. I used my variations a lot,” said Player of the Match, Gulbadin Naib.
“It was a tough night. It was a great game of cricket; obviously, dew came on and made the game difficult for us. We were unfortunate not to have come out on top. I thought it was a great total, but it’s T20 cricket. Alex Hales played very well earlier,” said Desert Vipers captain, Lockie Ferguson.
The tournament continues with MI Emirates facing Sharjah Warriors in the Eliminator match on Thursday. The winner will compete against Desert Vipers for a place in the final.
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