Cricket

Sunday night at a packed Dubai International Stadium, the Desert Vipers won their first DP World ILT20 trophy, defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs. Oasis Vipers clinched USD 700,000 and the Black Belt while MI Emirates picked USD 300,000. Curran clobbered an unbeaten 74 from 51 balls, with eight boundaries and two sixes, to help take his team to the formidable score of 182/4. He was ably assisted by Max Holden (41 off 32) and Dan Lawrence’s (23 off 15) late surge. Naseem Shah (3/18), Usman Tariq

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders remained in the running for the DP World ILT20 Season 4 title when it outplayed Dubai Capitals by 50 runs in the Eliminator at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. Sparks had flown from both bat and ball right since the start of this maiden game at The Boland Park, and although Michael Pepper (0) contributed somewhat to his own downfall - caught off a leading edge two balls in to get Pretorius off the mark in T20 cricket

Harmanpreet fires as India complete 5-0 sweep. India were extended further than they have done at any stage this series but still completed a 5-0 series win over Sri Lanka with victory in the final T20I at Trivandrum - the first time they have achieved a sweep of this length in a bilateral T20I series at home. Other than a better showing with the bat from their opposition, there were stiffer tests that came their way - occasional inabilities at the top of the order,

Dubai: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has gone ahead and unveiled a franchise-based T20 league, the Afghanistan Premier League (APL). The first season of the tournament’s newly rebirthed format is expected to consist of five teams and will likely be held in the UAE in October 2026. The APL was launched has been previously introduced by the ACB back in 2018 as a season. That version pulled in the planet’s biggest names – Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Shahid Afridi for starters. But then the league was dissolved

Desert Vipers maintained their fine run in DP World ILT20 Season 4 with a comfortable four-wicket win over Sharjah Warriorz at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday (December 20). The victory secured Vipers’ place at the top of the standings after eight matches, with 14 points and very little doubt they will finish in the top two. A well-disciplined bowling display saw David Payne dismissive of the home side as they were bowled out for just 90. No other batsman could quite cut it for

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders kept their cool and clinched a hard-fought four-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Openers Alex Hales (46 off 39) and Phil Salt (35 off 24) dispatched the 167-run chase to all corners, chased down with four balls to spare as they climbed two spots up the points table from sixth position, going past Nottinghamshire into fourth place. Requiring 166 to win, Salt and Hales combined to put on 61 off 44 balls. They were

ILT20: MI Emirates outplay Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. MI Emirates got back to winning ways with a seven-wicket win against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The victory lifted the side to third in the points table with four points following their second win from four one games at DP World ILT20 Season 4. It was an all-round performance by the MI Emirates, who banked on Fazalhaq Farooqi’s 4 for 14 and Kamindu Mendis’ three wickets in the first essay to

ILT20: UAE spinner Aayan dazzles as Giants beat Warriorz. There was also no chance for Gulf Giants’ Aayan Afzal Khan, a young spinner who has no fears over bowling with the new ball, to open up against Sharjah Warriorz on Wednesday. But the 20-year-old landed critical blows to allow the Giants back in after the Warriorz had put themselves in a strong position. The UAE left-arm spinner had figures of 4-0-17-3, to set the platform for Giants’ six-wicket win in the ILT20 at Dubai International Stadium.

How often does the storyteller become the story? It’s as rare as sighting a globetrotting Formula One journalist from a cricket mad South Asian country in the giant media centre of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. And if the journalist is a woman, all the better to feed some mystique. It was love at first sight for Niharika Ghorpade and motorsport when she, a Formula One enthusiast’s daughter, was taken by her father to a karting track several moons ago. Although he hails from a family of

Naseem comes to Pakistan s rescue in super over thriller Dubai: Speedster Naseem Shah starred with the ball and defended 13 runs with a Super Over masterclass as Desert Vipers completed their third straight win of season four of the ILT20, at Dubai International Stadium on Monday. After 40 overs of a gripping tussle between two sides who were inseparable at the end, the Vipers had matched the Giants’ 179 for five in chasing down their score but closed level, albeit nine wickets down. Then,

Australia, at the break before a bumper Gabba crowd cheering them on in Brisbane, were 228-3 after the visitors collapsed to be all out for 334 in their first innings following Joe Root’s epic unbeaten 138. Steve Smith was not out 24 and Cameron Green unbeaten on 22 as Australia battled their way through a tough twilight session, losing two wickets after England's bowlers found their rhythm. Weatherald, playing just his second test, hammered 12 boundaries and a six in an aggressive knock before he was

Liam Livingstone’s blazing 82 not out from just 38 balls was the highlight at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium as the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders opened their account in DP World ILT20 Season 4 with a 39-run victory over the Sharjah Warriorz. His late fireworks then led the Knight Riders to 233/4 – the second highest total in DP World ILT20 history. Livingstone received backup from Sherfane Rutherford (27-ball 45) in the middle overs equally good to both Hales (19-ball 32) and Alishan Sharafu (23-ball 34),

An already full to capacity Dubai International Stadium was treated with some musical feast by Pakistan's Ali Zafar even as the opening ceremony of the ILT20 took place here on Tuesday. The 45-year-old singer had a holiday crowd eating out of his palms as he delivered a medley of hits, including the 2006 chart topper ‘Sun Re Sajaniya’. Zafar was thrilled to participate in the opening ceremony of the star-studded cricket competition on UAE National Day. “I have always been embraced by Dubai with so much

While the nation celebrates Eid Al Etihad, the spirit of UAE National Day on Tuesday, the cricketing family will meet to bring a new chapter of DP World ILT20 in glamorous style at Dubai International Stadium. (Image credit: Emirates Cricket) 'I’m hoping that I can score runs and we get off to a winning start' The fourth edition of the UAE’s IPL-style T20 league, featuring six teams, will open its doors again on Tuesday when defending champions Dubai Capitals face-off against last year’s finalists Desert

Quetta Qavalry sealed their spot in Qualifier 1 with a thrilling Super Over triumph against the Vista Riders to remain at the summit of the 2025 Abu Dhabi T10 standings. Additionally, Aspin Stallions went second in the table with six-wicket win over UAE Bulls (119/5). The Royal Champs got the better of the Northern Warriors by seven wickets in the last game on Thursday for their first win of the season. Muhammad Waseem’s explosive 41 not out off 14 balls and Liam Livingstone’s winning six in the

Arch rivals India and Pakistan were lumped together in the same group and will meet on February 15 in Colombo in the T20 World Cup, cricket's world body said Tuesday. Title-holders India and Pakistan were drawn in Group A for the 20-team event, which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka, according to a schedule announced by cricket's global governing body in Mumbai. It will be the first meeting between the two sides since their three ill-tempered games at the Asia Cup in the UAE because they

The lowest gasp of air on the table for Royal Champs after three rounds in Abu Dhabi T10 has no doubt left them breathless. But Jason Roy would hope to take inspiration from his 2019 World Cup heroics against Australia for England as the opener aims to aid the franchise mount a strong comeback on time. Long ago in 2019, Roy was wonderfully brave and outrageously rude to bowlers as England rebounded very well from a poor start in the tournament to make it all

Rawalpindi - Pakistan reached the T20 tri-series final with a game to spare when they beat Zimbabwe by 69 runs on Sunday — and captain Shoaib Malik praised his team for getting better and better. Off-spinning all-rounder Usman Tariq was the star performer with a remarkable hat trick while Zimbabwe plunged to 126 in their pursuit of 196. In his second T20 International, the 27-year-old spinner resticted Tony Munyonga (1), Tashinga Musekiwa (0) and Wellington Masakadza (0) at three consecutive deliveries of the 10th over to

Tickets to attend the Dubai World Cup, scheduled for March 28, 2026, at Meydan Racecourse, are now available to purchase. Early bird preferential prices will apply to the tickets if they are purchased before December 31, 2025. Dubai’s most glamorous and prestigious event, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026, offers general admission tickets from Dh40 online, which grants access to the spacious public areas, and live entertainment. Gathering the world’s best horses, jockeys and trainers, the World Cup will see competitors

Stars shone brightly at the Zayed Cricket Stadium when the 2025 Abu Dhabi T10 (Nov 18-30) ushered in a new chapter of its iconic tournament on Sunday, with players from all eight franchise sides - affectionately known as the ‘Global Legends’ and ‘Icon’ players - converging at the venue before the curtain-raiser for the sixth edition. Kieron Pollard (UAE Bulls), Thisara Perera (Northern Warriors), Angelo Mathews (Royal Champs), Faf du Plessis (Vista Riders), Sam Billings (Aspin Stallions), Thisara Periera (Quetta Qavalry), Nicholas Pooran