DP World ILT20 Season 2: Top-rated, fiercely contested global franchise league

MI Emirates lifted the glittering trophy of DP World ILT20 Season 2, beating Dubai Capitals in front of a capacity crowd that had filled nearly every seat at the stadium.

Dubai: Stamping its mark as one of the best and keenly fought franchise leagues in the world, the curtains of the UAE’s own cricket league – the DP World ILT20 season 2 came down at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday. MI Emirates lifted the glittering trophy, beating Dubai Capitals in front of a capacity crowd that had filled nearly every seat at the stadium.

The large turnout was nothing but the result of all six teams producing brilliant contests. In short, T20 cricket was at its best. The intensity and fighting spirit that all teams displayed resulted in most matches ending in thrillers, with last over finishes and even a last-ball six to win.  Nicholas Pooran, skipper of MI Emirates, produced the most valuable and exciting captain’s knock in the final; but that was not the only captain’s knock since all team had their captains leading from the front.

The season 2 contests have left an indelible mark given that none of the knockout matches or the final could predict the winner. The fate of all matches swung like a pendulum, drawing spectators to the edge of their seats. Till the last match of the league round, none could predict the playoff lineup. Though MI Emirates emerged the winner, since Dubai Capitals had beaten them twice in the league round, it was impossible to predict who would be crowned the new champion of the DP World ILT20.

The fact that last year’s winners Gulf Giants and runners-up Desert Vipers failed to make it to the finals was purely because the others had arrived as stronger teams and shrewd strategies. Every team had match winners, and interestingly, all of them blossomed to enthrall the crowd. Though some of the star players had to leave early due to their national commitments, those who remained ensured that their absence was not felt.

The commitment of the players to their franchise leagues was such that some players, including MI Emirates’ winning captain Nicholas Pooran, rushed back after their international matches to boost their team’s chances. The enthusiasm to give their best was such that there was intense competition to claim the belt titles which came with a cash prize of $15,000.

Giants’ skipper James Vince won the Green Belt as the highest run-getter, scoring 356 runs from 12 matches, but he won it by a whisker as Nicholas Pooran fell short by just two runs (354 from 10 matches). The battle for the highest wicket-taker’s White Belt too was so intense that the winner had to be decided on a better economy rate. Waqar Salamkheil of MI Emirates bagged 17 wickets from 11 matches, while his teammate Fazalhaq Farooqi had bagged the same number of wickets from eight matches.

Sikandar Raza of Dubai Capitals walked tall to receive the Red Belt for the most valuable player through his spectacular all-round performance that lifted his team to many victories. UAE’s Muhammad Waseem once again announced that he was the best among the UAE players to receive the Blue Belt for the outstanding UAE player. But this year he has faced good competition from many other UAE players, especially youngsters like Alishan Sharafu, Aayan Khan, Muhammad Rohid, and Zuhaib Zubair. 

With huge global viewership and sponsorship support, even cricket fans were rewarded handsomely. Three fans, namely Imran Ahmed, Nikhil Akali, and Chamod Lokabalasuriya, won Audi A3 cars in the raffle draw. Sam Billing received a cycle from Cycle Hub, one of the leading cycle stores in Dubai. Player of the Match and Biggest Six of the match winners received $1500 for every match. As for the biggest award, MI Emirates walked away with the winners’ prize of $700,000 (USD) while runners-up Dubai Capitals received $300,000 (USD).

Read This Also: Dubai Airport welcomes 87M visitors in 2023, up 31.7% from previous year

Remarks from captains of the teams that played in the final with regards the facilities and the tournament sums up the event beautifully. Sam Billings, skipper of the Dubai Capitals, remarked: “I love this part of the world and love the challenges of playing here on different venues. The facilities to play and train are outstanding.”

Nicholas Pooran, skipper of MI Emirates, said: “I was part of the final in the previous season playing for Desert Vipers, and the atmosphere is absolutely fantastic with a packed stadium.”