Sharjah: The Desert Vipers maintained a perfect start to the DP World ILT20 Season 4, securing a thrilling two-wicket victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. Shimron Hetmyer’s explosive 48 off 25 balls and Khuzaima Tanveer’s late cameo of 31 off 12 proved decisive in a tense chase.
Batting first, ADKR made a strong start with Alex Hales anchoring the innings with a 53-ball 37-run knock and Phil Salt contributing 18 off 15. UAE’s Alishan Sharafu added quick runs before the Vipers’ bowlers, led by Qais Ahmad and Noor Ahmad, regained control in the middle overs. Despite late resistance from Andre Russell (36*) and Unmukt Chand (18), ADKR were restricted to 171/6 in 20 overs.
The Vipers’ chase began explosively with Andries Gous and Fakhar Zaman hitting 19 runs off the first over — the highest in DP World ILT20 opening over history. Early wickets from stand-in skipper Sunil Narine left Desert Vipers struggling at 44/3 at the end of the powerplay. A crucial 68-run partnership between Hetmyer and Dan Lawrence (35 off 31) steadied the innings, but late wickets brought tension back into the contest.
In the final overs, Khuzaima Tanveer’s composed 31, including two sixes and two boundaries, guided the Vipers to victory with just two wickets to spare. Hetmyer’s earlier fireworks earned him the Player of the Match award.
Stand-in Vipers captain Sam Curran praised his team’s composure: “It was, in many ways, a fortunate escape, but an outstanding result. Our bowlers performed exceptionally well, and the team held its nerve in the crucial moments.”
ADKR captain Sunil Narine acknowledged the tight loss: “We were 15–20 runs short. The powerplay went well, but conditions eventually favoured the Vipers. That’s part of the game.”
Brief Scores:
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: 171/6 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 53, Andre Russell 36; Qais Ahmad 2/29, Noor Ahmad 2/35)
Desert Vipers: 175/8 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 48, Dan Lawrence 35; Ajay Kumar 3/21, Sunil Narine 2/35)
