The journey to the ILT20 2026 title has come down to its course, and what a ride it has been.MI Emirates are back to the final of the ILT20. Playing high-pressure cricket, Kieron Pollard’s men thumped the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday by seven wickets. The win sets them up for a tantalising final encounter against Desert Vipers on Sunday, January 4 at the Dubai International Stadium.
The Chokehold: Allah Ghazanfar and The Spin Masterclass
The script of the match was written in the first innings, when MI Emirates’ bowlers changed a high-stakes knockout game into a one-sided contest. It was almost a masterstroke from Kieron Pollard, opting to field first because the pitch in Sharjah gave just a little bit of grip for the slower bowlers.
The Knight Riders, who had been playing with plenty of self-belief in the Eliminator, perhaps never quite slipped into their rhythms. The cruel run-out of Michael Pepper – a brilliant throw from Andre Fletcher – was the precursor to a calamitous beginning and bad omens continued although they tried their best to rise out of it. Young Alishan Sharafu fought a lonely battle with an unbeaten and gritty 50 off 40 balls but failed to get any help from the other end.
The teenager from Afghanistan, Allah Ghazanfar, was the star of the show. The adolescent spinner worked his way through the ADKR middle order with excellent returns of 3 for 24. He dismissed the key scalps of Alex Hales, Jason Holder and Sunil Narine to take the sting out of Knight Riders’ batting. Muhammad Rohid and Fazalhaq Farooqi also bagged two wickets each to keep the batsmen on the leash as ADKR posted a paltry total of 120/8 in their allocated overs.
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The Chase: Banton and Shakib Build the Road for Them
Chasing 121 at night in Sharjah can be slippery considering the sluggishness of the surface but MI Emirates were very professional in their approach towards a target. Even though Andre Fletcher was dismissed inside the second over, the Emirates’ camp looked coolly composed.
The chase was led by Tom Banton, who has been in great touch this season. Banton’s unbeaten 62 from 53 balls provided a textbook case of modern T20 batting, finessing the balance between aggression and strike rotation. In the legendary Shakib Al Hasan, he found an ideal partner. The Bangladesh maestro — who was later adjudged the player of the match — came in and changed the tempo straightaway.
Shakib was also not afraid to show his experience, targeting the spinners as he helped himself to 17 runs off a Liam Livingstone over that ended up being matchwinning. The pair added 82 for the second wicket and the asking rate never seemed to exceed control. Though Shakib later perished for a belligerent 38 off just 24 balls in the 16th over, the damage had been inflicted. Banton delivered the coup de gras with a boundary in the 17th over to complete victory with 23 balls to spare.
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It is the second time in four seasons that MI Emirates have made it to the ILT20 final. But the Desert Vipers stand between them and the title, a side which has personified consistency this season. The Vipers had earlier beaten MI Emirates in Qualifier 1, so the final is not only a fight for silverware but also revenge time for the blue and gold brigade.
Key Matchups to Look For in the Final:
- The Spin Battle: Wanindu Hasaranga (Vipers) v Allah Ghazanfar (Emirates).
- Powerplay Fire: Fakhar Zaman (Vipers) against Fazalhaq Farooqi (Emirates).
- Leadership: The tactical duel between Kieron Pollard and the Vipers’ think-tank will hold the key in the high-pressure final.
As the action shifts to the iconic Dubai International Stadium, momentum is perhaps with the Emirates. Victory in an “all or nothing” Qualifier 2 and you’d say they’ve peaked at the right time.
And the ride of Knight Riders comes to a halt. But they were unable to strike the kind of big batting performance down the order that has propelled them a long way from fourth in the standings and into second qualifying position.
