Dubai : Rain played spoilsport in the 16th match of the DP World ILT20 match between Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday night. The match was called off after officials waited till 8.30pm (UAE time) to determine whether the pitch would be playable after the heavy downpour.
Both teams shared one point each. Gulf Giants, who were in second place with eight points from five matches, moved to the top slot with the single point from their sixth match replacing Desert Vipers who were at the top with eight points from five matches. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who had lost all their previous five matches, earned their first point today but they remain at the bottom of the table.
Gulf Giants had come into this match after losing to Sharjah Warriors in their last match. Sharjah’s medium pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, through a five-wicket spell, had bowled out Gulf Giants for 130 while chasing a target of 152. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, in their last match against MI Emirates, looked like recording their first win, but Andre Russell, who bowled the last over, failed to defend the 20 runs needed to win the match.
Speaking about the match being abandoned, Gulf Giants’ Andy Flower head coach said, “It’s really unfortunate. We were really looking forward to this game. We wanted to get out there and play. We also wanted the two points. But these things are out of our control and we have to accept the situation. We will now focus on the game ahead of us.”
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders captain Sunil Narine said, “It’s good to have a point. Hopefully, this could be the turning point for us. We have to take it step by step and see how the next game pans out for us.”
Schedule for 26 January 2023:
Sharjah Warriors vs Dubai Capitals – 6 pm GST (7:30 pm IST) – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
An enticing ‘Friends and Family’ package is available starting at an incredible AED20 for fans to enjoy the action from the stands, as well as have the chance to be chosen to sit in the luxurious ‘Fan Pod’ on offer at each stadium. More information about these packages and to purchase tickets can be found by visiting https://tickets.ilt20.ae.
The DP World ILT20 made its debut at the Dubai International Stadium on 13 January 2023. Some of the greatest cricketing superstars have made their way to the UAE to play in the inaugural edition of the league. The tournament is currently being played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Franchise teams, comprising over 100 International and 24 UAE-based players, include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Knight Riders Group), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global).
Cricket fans across the world can catch the LIVE telecast of this exciting cricket league on ZEE’s linear channels, digital platform, Zee5 as well as Zee Cinema SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema, &Pictures HD, &Flix SD, &Flix HD, Zee Zest SD, Zee Zest HD, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Thirai, and on CricLife across the UAE and MENA regions.