Abu Dhabi, 3 February 2024: The Sharjah Warriors faced defeat at the hands of the MI Emirates during their ILT20 Clash at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Waqar Salamkheil was the hero for the MI Emirates with the ball. But at the end, it was their opening batters Muhammad Waseem and Kusal Perera who helped chase down 130 runs in 11.1 overs to secure victory for their side.
Despite the loss, Sharjah Warriors head coach JP Duminy chose to take the positives from the match, “There are always going to be challenges that you face in a tournament. These moments are going to define your team and their character. I always see them as a gift. Unfortunately, we came up short on the night, but it gives us a great opportunity to test our resilience as we build combinations leading into the real important part of the tournament.”
Three wins in six games have given the Sharjah Warriors a chance to make it to the playoffs, something that the South African legend is sure that his team will achieve, “We’re still giving ourselves a good chance to get into the last four. For us, really, it’s about trying to find momentum and gaining confidence from it.
Adding to this, he said, “We must turn around quickly. We have a day’s break and then we play back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday, so hopefully we can put in a big performance and take that into the backend of the tournament.”
JP Duminy also reserved high praise for the ILT20, saying, “The ILT20 tournament has different players from all around the world coming together to put on these amazing performances. It’s a great spectacle, not only for T20 cricket, but global cricket as a whole.”
