Gulf Giants beat Desert Vipers by 25 runs and secured a top-two finish through Shimron Hetmyer’s hard-hitting half-century in the 27th match of the DP World ILT20 at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday.

Hetmyer, who was Gulf Giants’ hero in their previous match against MI Emirates through his last ball six, scored a stroke-filled 54 off 35 balls with four sixes and two boundaries.

He was backed by skipper James Vince’s 39 runs to help Gulf Giants post 180 for 6 in 20 overs.

Desert Vipers could muster only 155 for 6 against the tight Gulf Giants attack. Tom Curran tried hard to take his team to target through an unbeaten 42 off 33 balls with five boundaries and a six, but his efforts were not successful.

Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to bowl.

Speaking about their victory, Gulf Giants’ David Wiese said: “This was a big game for us as we wanted to confirm our place in the top two. Every single bowler has stood up when they have needed to in the tournament. Aayan Afzal Khan bowled beautifully today. The bowlers have been supporting each other nicely and everyone’s been doing the job.”

Also speaking after the match, Desert Vipers’ Tom Curran said: “Losing wickets in a cluster didn’t help us. I thought we could get to the target at one point in the game. It would have been a different story if I was batting with a recognised batter. I also thought that they got too many runs. It wasn’t a straightforward wicket. We probably got it a bit wrong with the ball and that can happen.”

Meanwhile, playoffs begin on 8 February at the Dubai International Stadium.

Cricket fans across Afghanistan can catch the LIVE telecast of this exciting cricket league on Ariana Television.

For the full broadcast schedule CLICK HERE

The DP World International League T20 has teamed up with Stars4U, to provide fans of the league digital avatars of their favorite players to share on social media.

The animated and talking avatars are available in the form of videos and greetings that fans can share with friends and family.

Some of the featured Stars4U avatars include: Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Alex Hales, James Vince, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell. These avatars will be available FREE for a limited period of time only.

The link to access your favorite DP World ILT20 cricketer’s avatar is https://app.ilt20stars4u.com

All the messages featuring Stars4U avatars have been approved by the DP World International League T20 as well as the players themselves and use the players’ actual voices.

Mubashshir Usmani, the General Secretary of Emirates Cricket Board said: “The league has huge ambitions and we are pleased to note that it is working with Stars4U to bring this digital-only product to the cricket fans. The opportunities are endless and the league is driven to add value for all cricket fans across the globe.”

Simon Brown CEO of Stars4U said: “This is a first-to-market for the sports industry and the DP World International League T20 has been so supportive. We have delivered an innovative launch at record speed. We are building a sustainable technology proposition that brings fans, clubs and brands closer to their heroes and are delighted to be working with the DP World International League T20 and all the franchise teams”.

The DP World ILT20 made its debut at the Dubai International Stadium on 13 January 2023. Some of the greatest cricketing superstars have made their way to the UAE to play in the inaugural edition of the league.

The tournament is currently being played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Franchise teams, comprising over 100 International and 24 UAE-based players, include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Knight Riders Group), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global).

The avatars can be accessed here: https://app.ilt20stars4u.com

In the latest update of the ICC’s ranking system, Rashid Khan moved into top sport in T20 bowling category, while fellow countryman Mohammad Nabi is in second spot as an all-rounder.

This week’s ranking put three Afghanistan players in the top 10 T20 bowling list – including Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is in 8th position.

T20 batting section was devoid of Afghan players, but India’s Suryakumar Ashok Yadav, also known as SKY, is ranked top T20 batsman.