Sport
Stage set for intense battle in ILT20 play-offs
The stage is set for an exhilarating and intense battle in the DP World ILT20 season 2 play-offs between the teams that clinched the top four slots, starting from Tuesday.
The league stage matches were so fiercely fought that the final four could not be ascertained until the last league match held in Sharjah on Sunday.
All 30 league-stage matches produced the best of cricket with many last over and last ball finishes including a last ball-six smashed by Sikandar Raza that put Dubai Capitals in a commanding position to make the final four ahead of Sharjah Warriors and Desert Vipers who finished at the bottom of the points table.
Cricket buffs in UAE can gear up for an exciting week of action as the top four teams prepare to produce some nail-biting contests starting with the Eliminator on 13 February (Tuesday) between Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, followed by the Qualifier 1 between MI Emirates and Gulf Giants to be played at the Dubai International Stadium on 14 February (Wednesday).
Qualifier 2, between the winner of the Eliminator and the loser of Qualifier 1, will be held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 15 February (Thursday) while the grand finale will be held at the Dubai’s ‘Ring of Fire’ Stadium on 17 February.
The intensity of the upcoming clashes can be gauged by the fact that except for MI Emirates, who notched up 12 points from six wins, all the other teams had hit the rock bottom of the table and then fought back to qualify for the play-offs. Defending champions Gulf Giants finished second on the points table with 12 points while Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals placed third and fourth respectively with 10 points each.
The DP World ILT20, with a total prize money of $1.3 million, will see the winners walk away with a whopping $700,000 while the runners-up receive $300,000.
The contest for the players who produced their best is also being keenly fought. The best batter with most runs will receive the Green Belt and the bowler with most wickets will win the White Belt while the most valuable player will be awarded the Red Belt.
The contest for the Blue Belt for the best UAE player also has many contenders in this edition. All the belt winners will receive $15,000 each.
In the first edition, Alex Hales won the Green Belt, Chris Jordan bagged both White and Red Belt and Muhammad Waseem had won the Blue Belt.
All Player of the Match winners as well as the Biggest Six of the Match receive $1500 each.
The large turnout for all the matches of this edition reflected the increasing following for this tournament. Cricket lovers are in for a treat over the next few days, and they will look forward to whether Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will be able to ride to victory or whether Dubai Capitals, by capitalizing on their skills, will pull off a victory in the Eliminator.
Qualifier 1 will see whether last year’s winners Gulf Giants can produce their best and walk tall over MI Emirates, which has played brilliant cricket so far in this edition.
MI Emirates skipper Kieron Pollard, who has the ammunition to hit big runs, said: “Winning is a habit and so is losing. Going forward we need to try and plan well. It is a matter of planning and execution.”
Gulf Giants skipper James Vince, who has shown the way through big scores, and is happy with the way his players have risen to the challenge, remarked: “Our last four games have been magnificent. The last two games, we were in the game and when our opponents were ahead in the game, we showed a lot of character to fight back.”
Vince will want his players to display their same fighting spirit in the play-offs.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine, after a win, had said about how he goes about to win matches: “We tick a lot of boxes. Start with picking up wickets in the powerplay, and that sets the tone
Sam Billings, skipper of the Dubai Capitals, enters the playoffs, fully aware of his team’s drawbacks and strengths. After his team’s last match, he’d said: “If you look at this tournament, it is about trends. The key area where we have struggled is the powerplay. As regards our bowling, everyone wants the ball and that is always a positive.”
Sport
ILT20: Nissanka fires Gulf Giants to four-wicket win over Dubai Capitals
Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
Pathum Nissanka produced his second consecutive half-century of the season on Saturday to guide Gulf Giants to a convincing four-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals, taking them to the top of the DP World ILT20 Season 4 standings.
Nissanka smashed 67 off just 31 deliveries in a dominant display that included six fours and five sixes. His 97-run stand with James Vince (50* off 45) proved decisive in the Giants’ chase of 161, which they completed with seven balls to spare at Dubai International Stadium.
Earlier, the Capitals posted 160/6 thanks to useful contributions from Sediqullah Atal (35), David Willey (29) and Jordan Cox (31). Captain Dasun Shanaka added late impetus with an unbeaten 23 off 9 balls, including two sixes in the final over.
But Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
The Giants’ reply wobbled briefly after the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9) but Nissanka took charge, hammering James Neesham for three sixes in the fourth over as the Giants cruised to 60/1 by the end of the powerplay. He reached his half-century in just 23 balls.
Mustafizur Rahman and Shanaka struck in back-to-back overs to remove Nissanka and Moeen Ali, but Vince held the chase together with a composed knock. Cameos from Omarzai (14 off 12) and Tom Moores (13 off 8) ensured the required rate never spiralled out of reach, and Vince sealed victory with a well-paced fifty.
In the first innings, after Omarzai removed Shayan Jahangir early, Atal and Willey stabilised the Capitals with a 61-run partnership. But the middle overs proved costly, producing only 18 runs between the 10th and 14th overs as wickets fell to Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson and Aayan Afzal Khan. Cox and Neesham revived the innings before Omarzai returned to snuff out the momentum by dismissing Cox and Rovman Powell in the 18th over.
Speaking after the match, Giants captain Moeen Ali praised his side’s all-round display: “Getting the points while knowing we can still play better is a good sign. We squeezed them well in the middle with the ball. Nissanka is a brilliant player, and Vince controlled the chase perfectly.”
Dubai Capitals skipper Dasun Shanaka admitted his team lost control through the middle overs: “Nissanka is in the form of his life — small guy, massive hitting. We lacked intent in the middle period. We waited too long to rotate strike. Powell and I probably should have gone earlier.”
Brief Scores:
Gulf Giants beat Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets
Dubai Capitals 160/6 (20 overs): Sediqullah Atal 35, Jordan Cox 31, David Willey 29, Dasun Shanaka 23*; Azmatullah Omarzai 3/46, Aayan Afzal Khan 1/3, Moeen Ali 1/23
Gulf Giants 161/6 (18.5 overs): Pathum Nissanka 67, James Vince 50*, Azmatullah Omarzai 14; Dasun Shanaka 2/16, Mustafizur Rahman 2/26
Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka
In the 27th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Sorkh Poshan Khafi edged out Arman FC 1-0 in a tightly contested clash.
On Saturday, Sarafan Herat secured a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq Khanzadah, keeping the league race intense and unpredictable.
Looking ahead to Monday, Sarsabz Yashlar will face Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 2:00 p.m., promising another thrilling showdown for fans.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, allowing football enthusiasts across Afghanistan to follow the action and enjoy the excitement of the Champions League season.
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
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