Abu Dhabi, 8 February 2024: The Sharjah Warriors secured a crucial victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the race to reach the DP World ILT20 season 2 playoffs, at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. After a strong start, the Knight Riders went from 61/1 to 94 all out, which the Warriors chased down in 13.5 overs.
Speaking after the game, England’s Adil Rashid, whose 4/12 is now the best bowling figures in the history of the league, credited the team’s bowlers for their performance. He said, “It’s personally very nice to get four wickets, but we bowled exceptionally well at the start, which set the tone for the rest of my teammates to come in and do their thing.”
Rashid also shared his opinion about what helped his side tackle the opponent batting line-up, saying, “This can happen in T20 cricket. They got off to a great start, but when you lose wickets, the pressure is on; you try to get a few more wickets. Fortunately for us, that’s what happened. They got off to a decent start, but then the spinners came on, and we put the brakes on their batting.”
The win helps the Sharjah Warriors jump up to fourth on the table, with a must-win game up next for them against the Desert Vipers on Sunday, February 11. The Englishman believes his team has what it takes to get there. “Our camp has a very positive mindset right now. We believe that we can win the next match by delivering the skills that we displayed today and going forward in the competition. The team is really gelling well too,” he said.
Signing off, Adil Rashid showered praise on the ILT20, saying, “It’s a great tournament. We have world class players, which makes it a tough competition. And of course, the fans here are amazing, which makes it a great atmosphere for us players.”
