Abu Dhabi Knight Riders beat Dubai Capitals to reach ILT20 Qualifier 2

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders edged closer to the International League T20 final with a commanding 50-run win over Dubai Capitals in Thursday’s Eliminator at Dubai International Stadium.

A blistering 122-run opening stand between Michael Pepper and Phil Salt set the tone for the Knight Riders, while a disciplined bowling performance led by Sunil Narine, Jason Holder, and Liam Livingstone stifled the Capitals’ chase.

The win sets up a Qualifier 2 clash against MI Emirates on Friday, with a spot in Sunday’s final against Desert Vipers on the line.

Pepper continued his excellent form, scoring 72 off 49 balls with seven fours and three sixes, while Salt added 43 off 34, taking the Knight Riders to 122 without loss. Despite a late flourish from Holder, who scored 22 off 11, Abu Dhabi finished on a competitive 158/7.

In reply, the Capitals struggled from the outset as Abu Dhabi’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure. Holder struck early, Narine dominated during the powerplay and middle overs, and Livingstone delivered crucial breakthroughs, leaving Dubai all out for 108. Narine, Holder, and Livingstone each claimed three wickets.

Player of the Match Narine reflected on the victory: “Winning games changes everything, it means a lot. We haven’t made the playoffs in three years, and that’s something we’ve been pushing hard for. It’s emotional because we’ve played good cricket before without getting the results.”

Dubai Capitals captain Mohammad Nabi remained philosophical: “At one point it looked like they might get close to 200, but we did well to pull things back with the ball. With the bat, though, we weren’t good enough as a unit.”

“There wasn’t excessive turn, but they bowled very well to their areas. The plan was to rotate strike and avoid early wickets, but it didn’t come off.”