Dubai Capitals clinch last ball thriller against Desert Vipers to reach ILT20 Final

Dubai,
Dubai Capitals clinched a thrilling last-ball, victory against the Desert Vipers, securing their place in the Final of the DP World ILT20 Season 3. In a nail-biting finish at the Dubai International Stadium, an all-round masterclass from Gulbadin Naib—featuring a third consecutive half-century against the Vipers, and a two-wicket haul—propelled the Capitals to a five-wicket win. The triumph not only marked the second-highest run chase in T20s at the venue but also extended the Capitals’ dominance over the Vipers with their fifth consecutive win against the side.
Earlier in the evening, Alex Hales lit up the innings with a blistering 67 off just 32 balls, forging a 98-run partnership with Max Holden to give the Vipers a flying start. However, the Capitals fought back brilliantly with the ball, restricting the Vipers to 189/7 and setting the stage for a dramatic chase.
The runs dried up after the first six overs and the situation worsened when Lockie Ferguson cleaned up Adam Rossington for 44 runs in 31 balls in the 10th over to bring the scoreline to 67/2.
Gulbadin Naib and skipper Sam Billings were tasked with recalibrating the run chase and the pair got to work quickly. Billings attacked Mohammad Amir in the 12th over, hitting two fours and a six, then reverse-swept Hasaranga for three fours and a six in the next over. However, a mix-up led to his run-out in the same over, cutting short his explosive innings at 38 runs off 16 balls.
Naib motored on as he was joined by Rovman Powell. The Capitals needed 52 runs from 30 balls. Powell raced to 20 runs before he was scalped by David Payne in the 18th over. The Capitals required 12 in the last over and Naib was lucky to squeeze six runs off the first two balls. He was dropped by Dhruv Parashar on the next ball but perished a ball later with the scores tied. Sikandar Raza struck a boundary on the last ball to seal the run chase.
In the first innings, UAE’s Farhan Khan removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz to give the Capitals a breakthrough as early as the first over. The powerplay belonged to the Vipers thereon as Alex Hales and Max Holden steered the Vipers to 64/1 in six overs. Hales, who was particularly destructive, was dropped in the fifth over. The same over would see 14 runs as the error proved costly.
Hales dispatched Sikandar Raza for two consecutive sixes in the seventh over as he brought up a 28-ball fifty. He smashed seven fours and cleared the ropes thrice to reach the milestone for the ninth time in the ILT20.
Though Holden was the more conservative partner, the pair had put on 98 runs in 52 balls until Gulbadin Naib caught Hales off his own bowling in the ninth over. Naib was in action again as Holden holed out to him at long-on, off Qais Ahmad, for 36 runs in 26 balls. The Vipers were at 107/3 in 10.1 overs.
While Rutherford and Wanindu Hasaranga departed cheaply, Lawrence found a few more boundaries but departed for 35 runs to Dushmantha Chameera in the 19th over. It was Khuzaima Tanveer’s late flourish of 15 runs in five deliveries including a six and two fours in the final over that helped the Vipers post 189/7 in 20 overs.
Brief Scores
Dubai Capitals beat Desert Vipers by five wickets
Desert Vipers 189/7 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 67, Max Holden 36, Dan Lawrence 35, Gulbadin Naib 2 for 25, Qais Ahmad 2 for 29)
Dubai Capitals 193/5 in 20 overs (Gulbadin Naib 62, Adam Rossington 44, Sam Billings 38, Lockie Ferguson 2 for 32, David Payne 1 for 31)