DP World ILT20 2025, Final Review: Dubai Capitals clinch their 1st title with thrilling four-wicket win over Desert Vipers

The Dubai Capitals defeated the Desert Vipers by four wickets in Sunday’s final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, overcoming the heartbreak of the previous season to capture their first title in a thrilling finish to the DP World ILT20 2025. Although the Desert Vipers received USD 300,000, the Dubai Capitals won USD 700,000.

With a scorching 12-ball 34 to secure victory in the final over, Sikandar Raza gave the team, chasing 189, the crucial late burst. Earlier, the Capitals’ victorious chase was set up by Shai Hope’s composed 43 and Rovman Powell’s 63.

Sam Curran seized charge of the match with an undefeated half-century that featured five fours and three sixes after Max Holden’s 76-run innings helped the Vipers overcome the loss of early wickets. With a cameo of 27 runs in the final overs, loaded with boundaries, Azam Khan also rose to the occasion.

At the beginning of the innings, the Dubai Capitals’ run pursuit was halted.

David Payne had an early breakthrough when David Warner was out in the second over after dragging the ball onto his stumps. Then, with two quick goals, Mohammad Amir dismissed captain Sam Billings and the highly effective Gulbadin Naib. With Shai Hope and Rovman Powell in the middle, the Capitals were still in the game even though they ended up at 39/3 after the powerplay.

Hope was the alliance’s more cautious partner, but Powell’s two huge sixes helped the team rally. With a six off Nathan Sowter, Hope finally put the pressure on to reach the 50-run partnership in 31 balls.

With the Capital at 100/3 and requiring 90 runs in 48 balls, the game was evenly balanced at the end of 12 overs. In the fourteenth over, Curran caught Shai Hope at deep mid-wicket, breaking the 80-run partnership. Powell reached a half-century off 30 balls in the meanwhile.

To keep the Capitals in the game, Powell and Dasun Shanaka each hit sixes against Curran in the sixteenth over. The Capitals needed 65 runs in the last five overs. After smashing 21 runs in his first nine deliveries, Shanaka holed out to Dan Lawrence off Payne in the following over.

In the 18th over, Nathan Sowter let up 13 runs, but he recovered to take the valuable wicket of Rovman Powell for 63 runs in 38 balls. Azam Khan stumped Powell on two runs earlier in the evening, which was only the Vipers’ third no-ball of the season, and Powell profited from a fortunate no-ball.

Sikandar Raza was responsible for writing the Dubai Capitals’ final script. To lead the Capitals to victory in 19.2 overs, he started the 20th over with a six and a four and hit three fours off Mohammad Amir in the last over. The Capitals defeated the Desert Vipers for the sixth game in a row.

By dismissing openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Alex Hales in the first five overs of the first innings, Obed McCoy handed the Capitals the early lead. But Max Holden was in outstanding form, leading the Vipers to 53/2 in six overs with nine spectacular boundaries in the powerplay.

In the ninth over, Holden reached a half-century off 32 balls, and Rovman Powell dropped him at long-off for a reprieve on the following delivery. Holden maintained consistent limits in spite of this near miss. The score was 75 for 3 when Dan Lawrence produced 10 runs in a 41-run partnership with Holden before being removed in the tenth over by Haider Ali of the United Arab Emirates.

Together, Curran and Holden scored 47 runs at a cost of 35 deliveries for the fourth wicket. When Sikandar Raza removed Max Holden for 76 runs in 51 balls in the 16th over, he ended the partnership.

In 29 balls, Azam Khan and Sam Curran scored 67 runs together, adding to the late innings pyrotechnics. With five fours and three sixes, Curran reached the fifty-run milestone in 28 deliveries and was still undefeated at 62 runs.

At the same time, Azam hit 27 runs off 13 balls, including three fours and a six. As the Vipers reached a commanding 189/5 in 20 overs, he was run out on the final ball of the innings.

ZEE’s 15 linear TV channels, its over-the-top platform ZEE5, and the TV and digital networks of its syndicated partners all carried live broadcasts of Season 3 of DP World ILT20.