Il T20

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, the Capitals were reduced to just 104 all out off 18.2 overs.

Sikandar Raza (22), Roelof van der Merwe (21), David Warner (16) and Rovman Powell (10) were the only Capitals batsmen to scratch double figures.

Theekshana produced a masterful spell of bowling to take 4-20 from his four overs while being well supported by Daniel Sams’ 3-28 off four.

The Warriors then needed only 13-1 overs to reach 105-1 and secure their third win in five games.

Charles top-scored with an unbeaten 43 off 33 balls including four fours and one six. Joe Denly was Charles’ partner at the crease with an unbeaten 23 off 16 balls. Earlier, Niroshan Dickwella made a 30-ball 37.

The Vipers took first strike and piled up an impressive 219-4 from their 20 overs thanks to an excellent 59-ball 110 from man-of-the-match Alex Hales which included seven fours and six sixes.

Captain Colin Munro added 56 while Guyanese left hander Sherfane Rutherford contributed a rapid seven-ball 23 including two fours and two sixes.

Sri Lankan pacer Lahiru Kumara was the Knight Riders’ best bowler with 2-31 from his four overs.

Then, despite a fighting 57 off 29 balls from Andre Russell, the Knight Riders were reduced to a paltry 108 all out in just 15.1 overs.

Cottrell was well supported by Sri Lankan leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and English medium pacer Benny Howell who took 2-21 and 2-6, respectively.

The Vipers now have three wins in as many games and are top of the table while, on the other hand, the Knight Riders are last with four losses from four matches.

The pair will join the likes of Andre Fletcher, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, McKenny Clarke and Nicholas Pooran on the MI Emirates roster.

Elsewhere, Johnson Charles will join the Sharjah Warriors, who also retained Trinidadian all-rounder Mark Deyal ahead of next season’s tournament.

Dominic Drakes will don the colors of defending champions, Gulf Giants, alongside Carlos Brathwaite and Shimron Hetmyer.

Brathwaite was the man of the match in this year’s final as the Giants beat the Desert Vipers by seven wickets.

The 2024 season is set to get underway on January 13.

After being put in to bat by the Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, MI piled up an intimidating 208-3 from their 20 overs.

Pooran, batting at number four, led the way with a 27-ball 57* including two fours and six sixes while Fletcher, who batted at three, provided excellent support with 53 off 37 balls including three fours and four sixes.

Openers Muhammad Waseem and Kusal Perera each had good contributions as well making 43 and 38, respectively.

Left-arm wrist spinner Zahir Khan was the Capitals best bowler on the day with 1-21 from his four overs.

The Capitals were then never able to recover from losing in form opener Leus du Plooy off just the second ball of the chase when he was trapped in front by Akeal Hosein.

Captain Sam Billings and Tom Banton tried their best with 40 and 35, respectively, but it proved to not be enough as Dubai were eventually restricted to 163-7 from their 20 overs.

Jason Holder made 24 while Rovman Powell made just eight.

Trent boult was excellent with the ball taking 2-20 from four overs while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth took 2-24 from his four overs.

Pooran was adjudged player of the match while Capitals all-rounder Sikandar Raza was named player of the tournament.

Full Scores: MI Emirates 208-3 off 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 57*, Andre Fletcher 53, Muhammad Waseem 43, Kusal Perera 38)

Dubai Capitals 163-7 off 20 overs (Sam Billings 40, Tom Banton 35, Trent Boult 2-20, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2-24)

The list also includes David Warner, Wanindu Hasaranga and Sikandar Raza among others.

A total of 69 players have been retained across the six teams, including two UAE players in each franchise.

Other West Indian players among the retentions include Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles, Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Dwayne Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Kieron Pollard.

With the player retention window closed, franchises now have the option of signing new players under the player acquisition window that will be open until September 15.

Each franchise will need to rope in a minimum of two more UAE players to their respective rosters to complete the minimum quota of four local players that needs to be filled.

The third season of ILT20 will be held from January 11 to February 9 next year.

Here is the full list of retained players for each franchise:

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Aditya Shetty, Ali Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Andries Ghous, Charith Asalanka, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Laurie Evans, Micheal Pepper and Sunil Narine.

Desert Vipers: Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Luke Wood, Micheal Jones, Muhammad Amir, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Tanish Suri and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Dubai Capitals: Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Dushmantha Chameera, Haider Ali, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza, Zahir Khan, Jake Fraser McGurk and Oliver Stone.

Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Chris Jordan, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gerhard Erasmus, Jamie Overton, James Vince, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Mohammad Zohaib Zubair, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson and Shimron Hetmyer.

MI Emirates: Akeal Hosein, Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Nosthush Kenjige, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil.

Sharjah Warriors: Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Muhamad Jawadullah, Kusal Mendis, Luke Wells, Peter Hatzoglou and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.