NEW DELHI: The first weekend of the new season of the International League T20 (ILT20) promised a lot of excitement for the fans. The ILT20 Season 3 began with two last-ball thrillers in its first three matches of the 2025 edition, setting the tone for a nail-biting season in the UAE.
The new season began on Saturday, January 11, with the reigning champions MI Emirates taking on Dubai Capitals. It ended with the narrowest victory margin in the league’s history as the Capitals registered a one-run win against the champions in a low-scoring thriller.
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The second match, first of the double header on Sunday, between Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Desert Vipers finished with the Vipers registering a commanding seven-wicket victory.
The second match on the Day 2 saw another nail-biting last-ball thriller in Dubai. Unlike the season opener, it was a high-scoring contest with the Sharjah Warriorz completing their chase off the last ball against Gulf Giants.
So, after the first round of the league stage, Desert Vipers lead the points table with two points and a net run rate (NRR) of +0.700. With one win each, Sharjah Warriorz and Dubai Capitals are joint second with two points and an identical NRR of +0.050.
Here’s how the first three matches transpired in the ILT20 season 3:
Match 1: Dubai Capitals beat MI Emirates by 1 run
Champions MI Emirates opted to field first after their skipper Nicholas Pooran won the toss at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Dubai Capitals struggled to score freely and lost wickets at regular intervals after being sent in to bat. The No.3 batter Brandon McMullen anchored the innings, scoring 58 off 42 balls with the help of three sixes and four fours. Rovman Powell played a handy knock of 25, off 20 balls, with Dasun Shanaka chipping in with 13 off 7 balls.
Emirates’ pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi started the new season in style, claiming a five-wicket haul. His 5 for 16 made sure the Capitals were restricted to 133 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Chasing a below-par target, Emirates suffered early blows with pacer Olly Stone picking the wickets of Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher for ducks. Emirates were reduced to 23/4 inside five overs of their run chase. Captain Pooran (61 off 40) and Akeal Hosein (30 off 31) steadied the ship with 79-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Capitals’ Gulbadin Naib then bowled an inspiring spell of 3 for 13 in four overs to reduce Emirates to 120/7 in 18 overs. Needing 14 off the last two overs, Emirates were still in control before Stone bowled a stunning penultimate over, giving away just one single in it. Young Farhan Khan then held his nerves to defend 12 off the last over as Emirates fell short by one run.
Match 2: Desert Vipers beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by 7 wickets
Desert Vipers skipper Lockie Ferguson sent hosts Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to bat first. Vipers’ pacers then kept the Knight Riders in check with early wickets. Knight Riders were struggling at 39/3 in seven overs, when opener Phil Salt (71 not out off 49 balls) got an able partner in Alishan Sharafu (46 off 34). The duo added 86 runs for the fourth wicket before the latter was retired out at the end of the 17th over. Salt and Andre Russell (30 off 14 balls) then smashed 41 runs in the last three overs to take the score to 166/5 in 20 overs.
Chasing a competitive target, the Vipers had a steady start with the openers, Fakhar Zaman (23) and Alex Hales (10) adding 31 runs inside five overs. The two fell in quick succession but Daniel Lawrence (70 off 39 balls) and Sam Curran (50 not out off 37) made sure the visitors were on the track of the run chase. They added 95 runs for the third wicket to take the Vipers closer to the target. And with Sherfane Rutherford (9 not out), Curran took the Vipers home with seven wickets in hand and 8 balls to spare.
Match 3: Sharjah Warriorz beat Gulf Giants by three wickets
Gulf Giants struggled to find momentum after being put into bat. Sharjah Warriorz captain Tim Southee (3/30) led from the front, dismissing Adam Lyth and James Vince in the powerplay. Rehan Ahmed (46 off 27) and Jordan Cox (38 off 32) rebuilt the innings with a 57-run partnership, steering the Giants to 102/4 by the 14th over. Shimron Hetmyer provided a late surge, smashing 36 off 23 balls, including five fours and a six. Mark Adair’s quick-fire 20 not out off 10 deliveries pushed the Giants to a competitive total of 174/7.
Chasing 175, the Warriorz had a shaky start, losing Johnson Charles in the opening over to Daniel Worall and Jason Roy in the second to Adair. However, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (83 not out off 56 balls) and Rohan Mustafa (45 off 33 balls) stabilised the innings with an aggressive yet calculated approach. The duo forged a 105-run partnership that formed the backbone of the chase, propelling the Warriorz to a strong position despite some tense moments in the final overs.
As wickets tumbled, the Warriorz needed 24 runs from the final two overs. Adil Rashid struck a vital six in the 19th over, which yielded 14 runs and brought the target within touching distance. With 10 runs required from the last over, Kohler-Cadmore held his nerve, smashing crucial boundaries to seal the victory.