Mohammad Nabi‘s all-around performance helped the Dubai Capitals defeat Sharjah Warriorz by a commanding 63 runs. Following the first half-century by Sediqullah Atal, Nabi’s undefeated 38 off 19 balls, which included three fours and as many sixes, helped the Capitals reach 180 for 6. Subsequently, the bowlers displayed discipline and successfully bundled the Warriorz out well short of the target. The Capitals handed the Warriorz their fourth loss in six games, led by Waqar Salamkheil (3-22) and Nabi (3-23), who were well-supported by Haider Ali (2-19) and Mustafizur Rahman (2-13).
After being asked to bat, Shayan Jahangir was bowled out by Sikandar Raza in the first over, giving the Capitals an early defeat. With the PowerPlay, however, Atal set the tone by identifying the weaknesses and penalising anything that fell short. Before Taskin Ahmed’s speed caught up with him, Jordan Cox gave strong support with a 28 off 19, putting the Capitals at 50 for 2 after six overs. With a pull off Wasim Akram, Atal reached his first ILT20 fifty. He continued to lead the team through the middle overs by combining power and placement.
Adil Rashid’s removal of Leus du Plooy caused the momentum to momentarily slow, but Nabi made sure the innings continued right up until the very end. Atal, Dasun Shanaka, and David Willey were removed by Taskin in a crucial last spell to finish with 3 for 40. However, Nabi’s attack, which included a majestic 94-meter six off Taskin, raised the Capitals from 154 for 5 to 180 for 6 and gave their bowlers a sufficient total to defend.
Nabi, who was draughted in as a super sub, hammered 38 off 19 with a string of crisp strokes, including three sixes, that took on both pace and spin.
The Warriorz were unable to overcome the disciplined Capitals onslaught in the chase. Even though Tom Kohler-Cadmore got off to a strong start with a few boundaries, Mustafizur Rahman got out Johnson Charles early, and the pressure quickly became apparent. After that, Haider Ali made significant progress, dismissing Tom Abell and Kohler-Cadmore to leave the chase shaky at 45 for 5 in the sixth over. To speed things up, Sikandar Raza counterpunched for a short while with a few sharp blows. Nevertheless, as the Capitals tightened their hold, spin did the majority of the damage and the asking rate continued to rise due to frequent wickets.
The only player to put up a fight was James Rew, who scored 47 off of 38 balls, but Waqar Salamkheil and Nabi swept through the middle and lower order with no help. Raza and Dwaine Pretorius were among the important wickets that Salamkheil took, and Nabi came back to complete the task with a decisive closing spell. Adil Rashid was taken by Mustafizur’s cutter, and Nabi cleaned up the tail, dismissing Wasim Akram before bowling Rew with a full delivery that slipped under the slog-sweep.
India
