Sharjah, 16 February 2024: The Gulf Giants faced elimination from the DP World ILT20 Season 2 after a loss to the Dubai Capitals in their Qualifier 2 clash at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The side needed to defend 138 runs for the victory. The Adani Sportsline-owned Giants fought hard during the match, but eventually lost the match in the 18^th over.

After the match, star pacer Chris Jordan spoke about how proud he was of his team, “It took a lot to come into back-to-back games and try to pick ourselves back up, but we had to do it. I’m proud of the team because we came through adversity early in the season. But we went on a good run and played some good cricket during our campaign. I am proud especially of the younger guys for finding solutions and working things out.”

The Englishman saved special praise for their two young UAE spinners in the side — Aayan Afzal Khan and Zuhaib Zubair, “I can’t look past our two young spinners, Aayan and Zuhaib. The way they have stood up this season, playing against some of the best players in the world, is incredible. They have been a big part of us turning things around, making an impact and that’s all you can ask from youngsters.

Jordan also wanted to share his appreciation about the DP World ILT20 season 2, and is already looking forward to the next season, “The standard has gone to another level this year, which is great to see because up until the last game, every single team was in the tournament.

“This is great for the tournament and for the competitiveness because there is no dead game, so every single game counts. It’s brilliant to see the organisation off the field and the way everything was run. You can’t ask for more. Obviously, we ourselves as a group will debrief and work on the areas that we can improve off the field,” he concluded.

Abu Dhabi, 14 February, 2024: The Dubai Capitals dominated the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to secure an important 85-run victory in their DP World ILT20 Season 2 playoff clash at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The batters for the Dubai Capitals helped their team to a score of 188, which was then easily defended by the GMR Sports-owned team.
Slow left arm orthodox spinner Haider Ali spoke highly of the coaching staff’s support after the game, “As a team, the way we have come from the bottom to reach the playoffs, we deserve to win the final. I would especially like to credit my management because despite us losing matches, they never lost their faith in us. We came back very well after we found the right combinations.”
He also credited the ILT20, saying, “As a youngster, playing in the ILT20 is a very big opportunity. We get to learn a lot of new things. When you play well among all the international stars in the ILT20, then you get noticed in the cricket world as well. As a UAE player, it is important to do well in this tournament.
Haider Ali was joined by Tom Adell, who said, “Mood is great in the camp. Winning always breeds confidence, and being in the position that we are is important because then it helps us carry that momentum for the big knockout games.
He is also looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead for his team, “It’s obviously great when all six teams go into last few group games with a chance to qualify. We are obviously delighted that we could make it to the top four. Every game now is equivalent to a final now.”

Sharjah, February 12, 2024: The Sharjah Warriors faced defeat against the Desert Vipers in their final league game of the ongoing DP World ILT20 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. The side needed to defend 121 runs to win but lost the match in a thriller in the final over, finishing fifth on the points table.
Speaking after the match, skipper Tom Kohler-Cadmore lauded his teammates for their committed performances throughout the tournament. “Disappointed to not make it to the playoffs. We were at a good stage halfway through the tournament. We did not perform the way we’d have liked to. We could have done better with the low scores at which we got out during a crucial stage of the tournament. But there is a lot to learn, and we can come back stronger in the next season,” the skipper said.
The Sharjah Warriors were not able to make it to the next round, but Kohler-Cadmore said that the players would walk away with a fair amount of learning from the season. He said, “We had a lot of highs and a lot of lows. Everyone will reflect and come away with positives. Every tournament is short and sharp these days, so a lot is about momentum. Captaincy was good fun. Challenging at times but great for learning.
The Englishman also spoke about his side’s ability to dig deep and fight hard no matter what the situation was. He said, “The bounce-back ability that we had as a squad showed that we can put it on the line till the very end. This could be seen with Daniel Sams’ run out in the final over despite the fact that we were already eliminated.”
“The boys had a lot of commitment, but sometimes we have bad nights. For me, it was the energy and the enthusiasm we showed on the field because we never gave up,” he signed off.

Abu Dhabi, 11 February 2024: Dubai Capitals defeated the MI Emirates by 19 runs in their final DP World ILT20 Season 2 league stage game at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. The team defended 148 runs to secure an important win and possibly a place in the competition’s playoffs.
Speaking after the match, opener Max Holden said, “It’s good to get the win. With the bowlers we got, we felt in control of the game. With the start that we had, we would have wanted more runs on the board, but that has been the trend of this tournament. So, we knew we were in the game and always in T20 cricket, if you bowl and field well then you can defend your totals.”
Having scored 51 runs, he was happy with his own performance, “I’m happy to come in at the top of the order, I’ve really enjoyed it and it’s been a good opportunity. I’m grateful to contribute. It’s a big win for the team and hopefully we can progress to the knockouts. T20 cricket is all about momentum and we have peaked at the right time. It’s good to win a pressure game like this because that prepares us for the playoffs.”
The Englishman also thanked the fans and commended the DP World ILT20 for it’s competitive nature, “The DP World ILT20 is an amazing competition. The best players around the world are here and I get to test myself against them. I also get to learn from the likes of David Warner in our dressing room. Also, the atmosphere in the stadiums, especially at home in Dubai, has been amazing. I thank the fans for their support.”

Dubai, 10 February 2024: Sikander Raza was in his best form as the Dubai Capitals secured an important victory over the Desert Vipers in the DP World ILT20 clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday. Chasing 171 for victory, Raza hit a six in the last ball of the match to help his team in the race for the playoffs.

Speaking about the moment that he won his team the match, the Zimbabwean all-rounder said, “It’s the stuff of dreams. From my point of view, we needed this win to stay alive in the competition. And a win like that goes a long way to boost our confidence. It has suddenly made us believe that we can win from any position. We are confident that we can make it to the semifinals. Going into the game against MI Emirates, we have a chance to stay in the hunt for the playoffs because of this win.”
Raza also revealed his thoughts during such a crunch moment in the tie, “When 2 balls were remaining, and we needed 6 runs for the win, I just wanted to put the ball through extra cover, but Ali Naseer bowled a good slower which bounced on me, which I missed. From there, it was just Do-Or-Die, with my back against the wall. In that situation, I decided to give it my best.”
Young UAE bowler Ali Naseer, who was hit for a six in the final ball of the match, received motivation from Raza, “I feel sorry for the young lad as well. My advice to him is that we have all been in that situation through our cricketing careers. At just 19, bowling the final over of the match takes immense courage. Keep your head up, brother, you’ve got a great future ahead of you.”
Dubai Capitals’ final game of the league stage is against MI Emirates on Saturday, February 10, as they chase a place in the playoffs.

Dubai, 5 February 2024: The Sharjah Warriors lost to the Gulf Giants by 79 runs in their DP World ILT20 clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The Giants put up 187/6 in their 20 overs before bundling the Warriors for 108 runs.

Sharing his thoughts after the match, Zimbabwean all-rounder Sean Williams spoke about the three wickets that he managed to bag despite being expensive, “It’s always nice to bowl well in these conditions, especially to put pressure on the batters that the Gulf Giants have. We had to take some risks while bowling at the end, but these things must be done at the back end of the game. Unfortunately, my execution wasn’t good enough.”

Williams reserved high praise for Hetmyer especially, after his explosive winnings snatched the game away from the Warriors, “Shimron Hetmyer played really well. He is renowned for winning matches for West Indies or any team he plays with. Such players cannot be given much gap. But obviously, my over was a turning point, there’s no denying that, but that’s the thing about cricket; You must know how to respond to such situations.”

Despite the loss, Sean Williams was confident in his team’s abilities and believes they are now a threat to the other teams in their final three matches of the season, “We are a very dangerous team to play right now with nothing to lose and everything to gain. We can only take the positives and keep moving forward. This is very important so that we can go out there and give it everything we have.”

Abu Dhabi, 4 December 2024: The Dubai Capitals went down by 29 runs against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the DP World ILT20 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Despite a brilliant innings by skipper David Warner, as well as West Indian Jason Holder, the Dubai Capitals, were unable to chase down 183 for the win.

Speaking after the match, skipper David Warner spoke highly about opponent all-rounder Andre Russell, who rescued the game for his team in the first innings, “We all know that he’s a dangerous player. He did very well, especially with the team on 119/7 at one stage. He didn’t have that opportunity against us in the last game. On a nice wicket, when the ball got older, he was always going to be dangerous and threatening. In such situations we should have executed our plans well but unfortunately, we couldn’t.”

Sharing his thoughts on the on the match and where they went wrong, Warner said, “Chasing 180, we had to bat well through the powerplay, but we didn’t do that. When you’re losing wickets with the new ball, it’s always difficult to bring it back. But we didn’t have the partnerships and we lost a wicket every over after that.”
Warner has also enjoyed his time in UAE for the ILT20. Speaking highly about the tournament he said, “I’ve enjoyed playing in front of the crowds at the ILT20. Playing here in previous World Cups, we know that the wickets are very challenging with the new ball and if you can get through that you can score runs. But as an opening batter, it’s a tough place to bat, making it even more special to come here and play.”

The Dubai Capitals will be up against Gulf Giants in their next match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Tuesday.