Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
The DP World International League Twenty20 (ILT20) saw a new winner when Dubai Capitals overcame the Desert Vipers at the third time of asking in the third season on Sunday night, ending almost a month-long intense competition of cricket in the UAE.
Dubai Capitals had a poor start and lost three matches in a row, then qualified strongly to enter the play-off, were inconsistent and had a poor start in the final at the Dubai International Stadium before pulling through. They beat Vipers by four wickets to bring a title to the owners, who own Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, for the first title in their franchise cricket history.
Along with lifting the coveted trophy, the Capitals claimed the top prize of $700,000, while the Vipers collected $300,000. The DP World ILT20's signature belts also recognised the season's standout performers with $15,000 each.
The UAE captain Muhammad Waseem took the Blue belt for the best local player of the competition where each team needs to have four players in the squad and two in the playing 11. Waseem has made the blue belt his own, winning it in all three seasons for a hat-trick.
Red Belt – Most Valuable Player
Sam Curran was instrumental in powering the Desert Vipers to the final, capping off his season with an essential knock of 62 runs and the crucial wicket of Shai Hope in the summit clash. Across the tournament, Curran amassed 387 runs in 12 innings, including five unbeaten knocks, and claimed seven wickets, highlighted by a 3-for-28 spell against the Gulf Giants.
The battle for the Red Belt was fiercely contested, with Curran narrowly edging out Dubai Capitals' Gulbadin Naib, who made a strong case with 381 runs, four half-centuries, and 11 wickets across the campaign.
Green Belt – Best Batter
The race for the Green Belt went down to the wire, with Shai Hope surpassing MI Emirates' Tom Banton on the final day. Hope's vital 43-run contribution in the final took his tally to 527 runs at an average of 58.55 in 12 innings, edging past Banton's 493 runs. Notably, both batters were the only centurions of the season, with Banton making history as the first player to score two centuries in the DP World ILT20.
White Belt – Best Bowler
Fazalhaq Farooqi dominated the quest for the White Belt, with 21 wickets in eleven matches. His haul was bolstered by the best bowling figures in DP World ILT20 history, when Farooqi secured five wickets for 16 runs against Dubai Capitals in the season opener. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' Jason Holder finished behind Farooqi with 17 wickets in 10 matches.
Blue Belt – Best UAE Player Muhammad Waseem secured the Blue Belt as the Best UAE Player for a third consecutive season. The opener scored 183 runs in 10 matches, smashing 13 sixes in the process. Waseem outfought stiff competition from the likes of Rohid Khan and Aayan Afzal Khan who secured 10 wickets each, through the season.
