Shai Hope. Pic Credits: X

ILT20 2025 : Dasun Shanaka’s Blazing Finish & Shai Hope’s Anchor Knock Powers Dubai Capitals To A Convincing Five-Wicket Win Against Gulf Giants

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Dasun Shanaka and Shai Hope‘s synergy came handy for Dubai Capitals as they secured and emphatic five-wicket win over Gulf Giants in the ILT20 clash played at the Dubai International Stadium, on January 23. Notably, both Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka and West Indies’ Shai Hope remained unsold in IPL 2025 mega auction. However the former Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans stars proved their batting might and steered Dubai Capitals home.

West Indies batsman Shai Hope played a pivotal role in guiding the Dubai Capitals to a five-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants in their DP World ILT20 clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Pitch Report and Toss

Pitch Report : The renowned Dubai International Cricket Stadium has assisted batters and they will find it easier to bat when the game enters the halfway stage. The pacers have got some purchase from the pitch in the initial overs and spinners have struggled to come among the wickets.

Toss : Dubai Capitals skipper Sikandar Raza won the toss and chose to field with no changes in the playing XI. The Gulf Giant skipper James Vince batting first made two changes in the playing XI with Drakes and young UAE spinner in the playing XI.

Jordan Cox 70 runs powers Gulf Giants to 153 for 5 in 20 overs

Gulf Giants batted first with James Vince and Ibrahim Zadran stepping out to open. Obed McCoy got the first breakthrough for the Capitals as he dismissed Zadran for 3 off 6 balls. Chameera followed his teammate’s cue to get rid of Vince, leaving the Giants reeling at 39/2 in the powerplay.

Asked to bat first, the Gulf Giants’ skipper James Vince looked to attack from the get-go. At the other end though, Obed McCoy gave the Dubai Capitals their first wicket, as he dismissed Ibrahim Zadran for three. Vince, who hit four boundaries in his 24, was joined by Jordan Cox and kept the scoreboard moving for the Gulf Giants.

Gulf Giants Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Gulf Giants Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

Just before the end of the powerplay, Vince was dismissed, and early in the seventh over, Tom Alsop was knocked over for two by Zahir Khan. From then on in, Cox took charge, and had good support from Gerhard Erasmus. Even though the Dubai Capitals kept things tight, Cox and Erasmus rebuilt, and put on a 69-run stand to give the Giants some momentum in the final phase of the innings. Erasmus though departed for 29, and shortly after, Cox completed his half-century and now had the big-hitting Shimron Hetmyer for company.

Dubai Capitals Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Dubai Capitals Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

Amid a tense situation, Jordan Cox slammed a sublime half-century. He played an anchor knock of 70 off 53 balls, including 1 six and 4 boundaries. Gerhard Erasmus also contributed with 29 off 27 balls. However, their scoring rate was low. Moreover, Cox got run out in the final over and the Gulf Giants could manage only 153 runs on the board at the loss of 5 wickets.

Hetmyer and Cox were looking to score quickly, but the Dubai Capitals’ bowling kept them firmly in check. In the final over of the innings, Cox was run-out for a well-made 70, which helped the Gulf Giants post a competitive 153/5 in 20 overs. Hetmyer remained unbeaten on 17.

Dasun Shanaka’s Blazing Finish after Shai Hope’s Anchor Knock powers Dubai Capitals to secure five-wicket win over Gulf Giants

West Indies batsman Shai Hope played a pivotal role in guiding the Dubai Capitals to a five-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants in their DP World ILT20 clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Shai Hope anchored the Capitals’ chase with a composed 47 off 39 balls, a knock laced with three fours and two sixes. His innings provided stability after the Capitals faced early setbacks, as they lost key wickets to the Giants’ disciplined bowling attack.

Chasing 154, the Capitals stumbled at 77-4 with Ben Dunk (10), Khalid Shah (10), Gulbadin Naib (17), and Najibullah Zadran (7) back in the pavilion. However, Hope’s calm presence at the crease ensured the chase remained on track. The West Indian was eventually supported by Sikandar Raza and Dasun Shanaka, whose unbroken 44-run partnership sealed the win. Shanaka’s explosive 34 not out, off just 10 balls, featured three fours and three sixes and added a thrilling finish to the innings.

Dubai Capitals Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Dubai Capitals Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

In response, Ben Dunk and Shai Hope started off steadily, and were looking to set up the platform for the chase for the Dubai Capitals. Dunk though could not bat long and fell for 10, and Khalid Shah added 10 more to the cause, both falling as they looked to go long, which gave the Gulf Giants the advantage, momentarily.

Gulbadin Naib joined Hope after that, and the duo found the gaps well, picking up a series of important boundaries as the Dubai Capitals fought back. Gulbadin though was the next to depart for 17 as Aayan Khan picked up his second wicket. Najibullah Zadran could not stick around for too long after that, and was back in the hut for seven, which brought captain Sikandar Raza to the middle, along side Shai Hope.

Gulf Giants Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Gulf Giants Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

The Gulf Giants stepped out with great intent in the second inning. Mark Adair, the man in form, dismissed Ben Dunk on just 10 off 13 balls. Aayan Khan, the promising bowler, delivered a crucial blow to get rid of Khalid Shah, leaving the Capitals reeling 41/2. Moreover, Aayan got his most important breakthrough in the 10th over when he trapped dangerous batter Gulbadin Naib in an LBW dismissal. Naib went back on 17 off 16 balls, marking the end of what appeared to be a promising start.

Raza and Shai Hope put on 33 runs together, which steadied the ship. The Dubai Capitals needed a strong partnership, and Hope along with Raza were able to set up the platform for the big launch in the final overs. Shai Hope was packed off for 47 by Blessing Muzarabani, who then went onto concede 18 runs in the over as Dasun Shanaka started off in fifth gear.

Shai Hope anchored Dubai Capitals’ innings with a stunning 47 off 39 balls. However, Blessing Muzarabani dismissed him in the 17th over with the Capitals needing 44 runs off the final four overs. While Hope’s wicket was a shocker, Sikandar Raza and Dasun Shanaka stitched up a match-winning partnership.

While Raza slammed 25* off 15 balls, Shanaka hammered 34* runs off just 10 deliveries, including 3 big sixes and as many boundaries. Dubai Capitals chased down the total with 8 balls to spare to secure a 5-wicket victory. Shanaka continued his attack on the Gulf Giants bowling right through and finished off the contest two sixes, a boundary and a single in the 19th over. Shanaka finished unbeaten on 34 off 10 deliveries while Raza had 26 from 15.

Raza, steady with 26 not out off 15 balls, complemented Shanaka’s aggression with one boundary and a six, as the Capitals reached their target at 154-5 with five balls to spare. Aayan Afzal Khan was the standout bowler for the Giants with figures of 2-23, while Dominic Drakes went wicketless.

Presentations and Road Ahead

Sikandar Raza the winning DC skipper said : You got to win all the home games, that’s the formula. The idea is to win one or two on the road. I didn’t think the wicket was as tough as the last game. I thought 153 was below par, I think 165 would have been a tough chase.

Shai got 40-odd, he played beautifully. We look forward to doing this doing forward. We are peaking at the right time. We haven’t bowled a lot of extras, no balls, that helps. We want to enjoy the 20 overs when we are on the field.

James Vince the losing GG skipper said : Shanaka was able to strike it cleanly. Shanaka took it away from us in the last 3 years. Was a much better performance from us. We felt it was a decent score. It was a bit slower and lower. Cox played a vital innings. It’s the key moments. We were short of runs at the top of the order. We know how this competition is.

Shai Hope Player of the Match for his stellar runs said : The surface was a bit slower. I had to be a lot closer, so that was a sharp catch. Just trying to grow. Got to adapt quickly and improve my game. Got to continue doing it. Can’t give too much away. Want to improve every time I get on to the field.

Dubai Capitals beat Gulf Giants by 5 wickets in the 16th match of the ILT20 2025 season. The Giants succumbed to 153 runs batting first. While Capitals fumbled in the chase, Shai Hope’s 47 supported by Sikandar Raza’s 26* and Dasun Shanaka’s 34* powered Capitals to a victory with 8 balls to spare.

The Capitals win by 5 wicket as Shanaka powers them to an easy win. Earlier in the day, the rollicking knock by Jordan Cox and the crucial cameos by Vince and Erasmus powered the Gulf Giants over the 150-run mark. In reply, most of the Delhi Capitals batters chipped in with handy knocks, but Shai Hope anchored the innings and kept the scoreboard ticking from one end.

Shai Hope fell short of his fifty, but once he departed, Shanaka walked out to bat and smashed the bowlers to all parts of the ground. He took them apart and as a result of his 34*(10) – the Capitals got over the line in the 19th over. Aayan was the pick of the bowlers for the Giants, but Shanaka played the match-defining knock. The Capitals move up to the number 3 spot in the points table as a result of this emphatic win.

The win propels the Dubai Capitals to third in the standings with six points, level with second-placed MI Emirates. The Desert Vipers remain atop the table with 10 points, while the Gulf Giants languish at the bottom with two points.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Side Arm Specialists In India Need To Work Hard To Prepare Batters For Tough Times”- Abhishek Jain Gives His Invaluable Insights

 

 


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