2025 ILT20 ended on Sunday, with the title clinched by Dubai Capitals. Dubai, in the final match, claimed their first-ever title with a brilliant four-wicket win against Desert Vipers. Choosing to bat first, the Capitals put 189 on the board courtesy of good knocks from Max Holden and captain Sam Curran, who scored 76 and 62 respectively for the Vipers. After this, the Capitals made a mighty comeback, chasing down the score with four balls left in the tank. Aside from this astonishing chase, the match had its bated breath moment.
Stumping Rovman Powell was Azam Khan, the wicketkeeper of the Vipers, operating in the 8th over of the Capitals’ chase off Nathan Sowter’s delivery. After the celebration so far, the TV umpire saw that Azam’s gloves were in alignment with the stumps when Powell got stumped.
So, Powell was called in, and overstepped by Nathan Sowter was declared a no-ball. Not stopping here, the next ball, which was a free hit, ended up being bowled by Sowter over the square (wide). On the next delivery, however, Nathan Sowter bowled the ball perfectly, and it took just a small amount of time for Powell to slap it for a six.
The Vipers dearly paid for the blunder of Azam Khan, who scored 63 runs off just 38 balls.
Rovman Powell’s 63 and Shai Hope’s 43 off 39 balls, along with two fours and a six spark, endorsed the success for the Capitals, which was then built on by Chakabwa’s brilliance providing a sensational finish in just 12 balls where he scored 34 runs.
For the Vipers, Max Holden’s runs of 76 had provided some resistance to the fall of wickets till Sam Curran took matters into his own hands, licking up an unbeaten half-century, in which he hit five fours and three sixes. Azam Khan, too, proved his mettle with a cameo of 27 runs, celebrating with boundaries at the death.
In this match alone, from Joy Sport Management, the Capital have beaten the Desert Vipers for the sixth regard. The prize won by the Christmas was USD 700,000 while the Vipers received USD 300,000.
And adding on to the euphoria of a grand final and a new champion, signature awards by the ILT20 for individual performances saw Shai Hope walk away with the Green Belt (best batter), finishing the competition with 529 runs. MI Emirates’ Fazalhaq Farooqi clinched the White Belt (best bowler) for his 21 wickets in 11 innings.
