On Saturday, February 17 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, the International League T20 2024 (ILT20 2024) final between MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals finally got underway after captivating the fans for 33 matches. Fans were shocked to see some of the biggest names in cricket dressed in Arabic clothing prior to the championship match, as they eagerly anticipated seeing the two finest sides in the competition square off.
Previous cricket players who were spotted wearing Thawb before the match included Simon Doull, Danny Morrison, Virender Sehwag, Nikhil Chopra, Saba Karim, Harbhajan Singh, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar. Their appearance quickly gained popularity on social media. In a really original way, the entire commentary panel even greeted the fans, saying, “Habibi! “Visit Dubai International Cricket Stadium.” The video went viral.
𝓓𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓵𝓪𝔂
When in Dubai, you’ve gotta do it the Emirati way!#DPWorldILT20 #AllInForCricket #MIEvDC pic.twitter.com/WOlEPIS1MP— International League T20 (@ILT20Official) February 17, 2024
Virender Sehwag & Shoaib Akhtar
ILT20 Final pic.twitter.com/hutfOPxOnk— زماں (@Delhiite_) February 17, 2024
Returning to the match, MI Emirates defeated the Dubai Capitals by 45 runs to win the second iteration of the competition. Put in to bat first, MI amassed a mammoth 20-over total of 208/3, driven by half-centuries from skipper Nicholas Pooran (57* off 27) and Andre Fletcher (53 off 37). Earlier, Mumbai made a stunning opening partnership off of 40 balls with openers Muhammad Waseem (43 off 24) and Kusal Perera (38 off 26).
For MI Emirates, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Trent Boult each claimed two wickets.
With stats of 1/21 in four overs, Zahir Khan was the preferred bowler for the Dubai Capitals. Dubai struggled with the ball and the bat as well, scoring just 163/7 in the 20 overs that were allowed. With a knock of forty-nine (29) and Tom Banton’s thirty-five (20), Captain Sam Billings led the team in scoring. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (2/24) and Trent Boult (2/30) both claimed two wickets for Emirates.
India
