David Warner. Pic Credits: X

ILT20 2025 : David Warner Steers Dubai Capitals By A Phenomenal Unbeaten 93 Run Knock Against ADKR & Takes Team To Qualifiers

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 David Warner, playing his first match of the season, was the game-changer as his magnificent unbeaten 93 steered the Dubai Capitals to their sixth win in seven matches against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. David Warner‘s explosive batting propelled the Dubai Capitals into the playoffs of the DP World ILT20 2025 after they clinched a stunning 26-run win over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. With the win, the Dubai Capitals become the fourth and final team to seal their spot in the playoffs.

Australia’s 38-year-old opener David Warner on February 2 proved that he is still got what it takes to perform in T20 leagues around the world. In his first game since arriving in Dubai, David Warner  scored an unbeaten 93 to help Dubai Capitals beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by 26 runs. The Sam Billings-led Dubai Capitals registered their fifth win of the tournament and booked their spot in the ILT20 qualifiers.

Pitch Report and Toss

Pitch Report : It’s a dry surface, hardly any grass on it. There’ll be turn on offer. Shot-selection is the key as the ball won’t come onto the bat nicely.

Toss : Abu Dhabi Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine won the toss and opted to bowl with Ali Khan in the playing XI. Dubai Capitals skipper Sam Billings  batting first made two changes in the playing XI bringing in Qais Ahmad and David Warner as Zahir Khan opts out.

David Warner’s unbeaten 93 runs powers Dubai Capitals to 217 for 4 in 20 overs

Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine won the toss and opted to bowl first. After a slow start in the powerplay overs, David Warner hit Gudakesh Motie for four fours in the eighth over. In the next over, Shai Hope hit two consecutive sixes off Roston Chase before getting knocked over for a 24-ball 36. David Warner reached his fifty from 33 balls.

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

Gulbadin Naib’s catch was dropped twice. Meanwhile, David Warner kept the run rate up in the middle overs. Naib joined in with a flurry of fours and sixes. In the 17th over, the Afghan all-rounder departed for a 24-ball 47.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

David Warner reached 90s in the 18th over. Rovman Powell could not do much as he got out for a single-digit score. Dasun Shanaka went berserk in the final over and prevented David Warner from completing his century. Shanaka contributed with a 12-ball 34 to help Dubai Capitals post 217/4. David Warner carried his bat. David Warner scored 93 runs from 57 balls including 12 fours and a six.

Andries Gous 78 runs in vain as ADKR loses to Dubai Capitals by 26 runs and crashes out of the playoffs spot

In Knight Riders’ run chase, 23 runs were scored in first four overs. USA batter Andries Gous took on Obed McCoy and hit him for a six and two fours. He smashed Dushmantha Chameera for three boundaries as Knight Riders had 50 runs on the board after powerplay overs. Kyle Mayers struggled to find boundaries. Andries Gous reached his fifty from 31 balls. When Mayers switched gears, he could not stay longer at the crease and was dismissed by Naib with an off-cutter. He scored 42 runs from 29 balls.Chasing a steep total of 218, the Knight Riders had their task cut out as they needed an outright win to stay alive in the competition. Their batters got off to a cagey start, but once they got going, there was no stopping them. Andries Gous was the wrecker-in-chief as he clobbered six boundaries in 11 deliveries to guide his side to 50/0 at the end of the powerplay. Having set the tempo for the chase, Kyle Mayers stepped on the gas with a few clutch boundaries.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

Gous and Mayers formed the foundation of the Knight Riders’ chase as they looked well-set at the halfway mark at 89/0, with both batters firing on all cylinders. However, an inspired bowling change gave the Capitals a route back into the contest as Gulbadin Naib outfoxed Mayers.

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

While Joe Clarke was new to the crease, Andries Gous cleared the fence with ease. In the 17th over, Chameera struck twice to dismiss Gous and Andre Russell. The opener scored 78 runs from 47 balls. His knock featured seven fours and four sixes. David Willey returned for a single-digit score as well. Skipper Narine and Holder contributed with their respective cameos but could not take Knight Riders over the line. They managed to post 191/5 and lost the match by 26 runs.

The Capitals had more reasons to celebrate as David Willey fell after making just one run and the Knight Riders were stranded at 153/5, needing 65 runs in 18 balls. It proved to be too big a target to chase as the Dubai Capitals closed out a commanding 26-run win. This was the first time in seven matches that the team batting first had won the match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Presentations and Road Ahead

Sunil Narine losing skipper of ADKR said :  It was decent (this season). Good bunch of guys, we still gave all that we could have given. At the end, someone has to win and someone has to lose. A must-win game, you don’t really want to chase 217. We had a decent start, we had a good partnership, tried to take it deep but we didn’t finish as we wanted to.

Having said that, they bowled well and picked up wickets and that’s a key factor. The belief was there especially having Russell there. He didn’t deliver today, but it’s a tough job to do, just go out and try to hit from ball one.

Sam Billings winning skipper of DC said : It was a proper team effort. David will get the plaudits but everyone who batted around him … Gulbadin little bit of luck but made it pay and the intent and obviously Shanaka showed as well. With the bowling, I had plenty of options but when people came on, they were very clear. Everyone really executed brilliantly. Chameera was the pick of the bowlers, he’s world-class when he’s bowling like that.

Most pleasing thing – one was the fielding and the team effort. You can take a lot of confidence from a performance like that. We would have bowled first as well. We know the stats here. Two quality players at the top of the innings. Shai Hope has been in great form.

David – one of the best players ever to play this format of the game and adapt so well to different conditions around the world. Those two guys showed their class and assessed the conditions brilliantly. It’s a huge advantage to finish one and two. We’ll be looking forward to tomorrow. Desert Vipers have been in brilliant form. Getting confidence against them will be great. Sharjah, we’ll have to adapt again.

David Warner Player of the Match for his unbeaten 93 runs said : Back to when I was 21 again (chuckles). We know this wicket can be quite difficult. Losing the toss and being sent it, you got to have that positive mindset. Shai has been exceptional this tournament and he made my job a lot easier. We got off to a good start and put a positive total on the board. I tried to hit straight. I am still learning at 38 years of age.

I love this game, it’s an amazing game. I have played a lot of international cricket, but I owe this game a lot. Coming to these tournaments and showcasing what I can do and what I can hand down some of my knowledge, that’s what I’d like to do for this game. Hopefully I can get one better next game.

David Warner delivered a masterclass in power hitting to propel the Dubai Capitals into the playoffs of the DP World ILT20 on Sunday, as they secured a commanding 26-run victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The win confirmed the Capitals as the fourth and final team to reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

Warner, playing his first match of the season, was the game changer with an unbeaten 93, guiding his team to their sixth win in seven encounters against the Knight Riders. He helped the Capitals post a formidable 217 for four — the highest score in the tournament’s history at the venue.

Opting to bat first, the Dubai Capitals made a strong start, with openers Shai Hope and Warner setting the tone early. Despite Willey’s tight spell, which saw him concede just 11 runs in three overs, the Capitals reached 43/0 inside the powerplay.

David Warner had an early scare in the seventh over when he holed out to Russell, but the catch was dropped. He capitalized on the lifeline, smashing four boundaries in an over off Gudakesh Motie. Hope contributed with two sixes before being bowled by Roston Chase, ending an 82-run opening partnership.

Warner reached his half-century off 33 deliveries, marking his 116th 50-plus score in T20 cricket — an all-time record. The veteran Australian then shifted gears, dispatching Sunil Narine for a massive six as the Capitals surpassed 100 in 12 overs. Naib provided further impetus with a brisk 47 off 25 balls, punishing Jason Holder’s wayward deliveries. Despite Narine dismissing Naib, Dasun Shanaka’s late cameo (17 off seven balls) ensured the Capitals surged past 200.

Chasing 218 to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Knight Riders started cautiously before Andries Gous injected momentum with a rapid-fire knock. Gous smashed six boundaries in his first 11 deliveries, propelling his side to 50/0 at the end of the powerplay. Partnered by Kyle Mayers, the duo laid a strong foundation, reaching 89/0 at the halfway stage of the innings.

However, a crucial bowling change swung the match in the Capitals’ favor. Afghan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib deceived Mayers with a clever slower ball, dismissing him for a well-made 42 off 29. Gous, undeterred, continued to attack, reaching 55 before teaming up with Joe Clarke, who unleashed a stunning 91-meter six before retiring hurt. The introduction of Andre Russell was expected to shift the game back in the Knight Riders’ favor, but the strategy backfired.

Gous departed for 78 off 47 after mistiming a shot to mid-wicket, while Russell lasted just one ball before being dismissed. David Willey also fell cheaply, leaving the Knight Riders reeling at 153 for five and needing an improbable 65 runs from the final three overs. Dushmantha Chameera’s outstanding 17th over sealed the result, ensuring the Capitals held on for a crucial victory — marking the first time in seven games at the stadium that a team batting first emerged victorious.

Chasing a big score, ADKR scored just 23 runs off the first four overs. The openers found their groove post that and got to 89/0 at the halfway stage. Gulbadin provided the breakthrough as he cleaned up Mayers with a beautiful cutter. Half-centurion Gous hit sixes to keep his team in the hunt.

Clarke was struggling a bit against the pace-off deliveries. At the end of the 16th over, the Knight Riders were 151/1, needing another 67 runs more to win. That’s when they decided to retire Clarke out and thing went downhill for them. Gous fell immediately after that and Andre Russell perished first ball, both falling to Chameera.

Narine struck two fours and two sixes but Chameera bowled a brilliant penultimate over and finished with impressive figures of 4-0-25-2 in a high-scoring match. Dubai Capitals are through to the playoffs! Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Gulf Giants are eliminated.

Solid performance from Dubai Capitals. David Warner and Hope laid the foundation. The former batted till the end which allowed Gulbadin and Shanaka to go hammer and tongs. After posting 217, they went wicketless in the first ten overs but they didn’t panic and ended up defending the total quite comfortably. They’ll be locking horns against table-toppers – Desert Vipers – tomorrow and a win will take them to the second spot.

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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