By Staff Reporter
Dubai: In a tense final, patience proved to be the key. The team that absorbed pressure best would emerge victorious, and Dubai Capitals’ Shai Hope and Rovman Powell did just that to rescue their side against Desert Vipers in the DP World ILT20 Season 3 final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. But it was the cool-headed Sikandar Raza, who provided the finishing touches as the Capitals clinched their maiden ILT20 title.
Chasing 190 with the title on the line, the Capitals’ top order—David Warner, Gulbadin Naib, and skipper Sam Billings—crumbled under pressure, making it seem like last year’s finalists would once again fall short. A stroke of luck, however, went their way when Powell was adjudged not out despite Vipers’ wicketkeeper Azam Khan stumping him after collecting the ball beside the leg stump.
That reprieve allowed the Capitals to reset. Hope, the season’s leading run-scorer, and Powell built a crucial 80-run partnership for the fourth wicket, setting their team on course for victory.
Vipers set a stiff target
Earlier, the Vipers also had a shaky start, losing in-form opener Alex Hales early. However, Max Holden anchored the innings until the 16th over, after which Sam Curran’s half-century and Azam Khan’s explosive knock powered them to a total that appeared beyond the Capitals’ reach.
There was little to separate the two best teams in the league. At the end of the 16th over, the Capitals were only six runs ahead of the Vipers at the same stage of their innings. However, the Vipers lacked bowling depth in the absence of skipper Lockie Ferguson and Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
Raza holds his nerve in the end
Powell capitalized on his reprieve to smash 63, but when he fell on the last ball of the 18th over, the Vipers sensed an opening with 24 runs still required. Enter Raza. The Zimbabwean all-rounder took charge, plundering 15 runs off Mohammad Amir with three fours in the penultimate over before sealing the win with a four and a six—with four balls to spare.
The Vipers had their fangs out early when Amir struck twice in his first three-over spell, following David Payne’s dismissal of Warner, who was struggling with a back injury. Capitals skipper Billings had an early scare when the Vipers failed to appeal a faint edge, but his stay at the crease was short-lived.
In the end, it was the Capitals who held their nerve, finally claiming their first ILT20 title.
