Desert Vipers pacer Mohammad Amir turned back the clock with a sensational performance in Match 15 of the International League T20, leaving fans at the Dubai International Stadium buzzing. The left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir was on fire as he dismantled Sharjah Warriorz with figures of 4/24 in just 3.1 overs, proving once again why he’s one of the best in the business.
The Desert Vipers got back to winning ways in Season 3 of ILT20 Season 3 as they put up a scintillating performance to outclass the Sharjah Warriorz and clinch a massive 10-wicket victory at the Dubai International Stadium here on Wednesday. The Desert Vipers rode on Fakhar Zaman’s unbeaten 71 and Mohammad Amir’s four-wicket haul to cruise to an emphatic win which consolidated their position atop the standings.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : 63m and 69m square boundaries and straight down it’s 77m. In the last five matches at this venue, the spinners have taken 24 wickets. New wicket, there are some bare patches on the wicket so the ball might hold up. There will be some dew later on. Unsurprisingly, Lockie Ferguson has opted to bowl first. 156 is the average first innings score here reckons Daren Ganga and Alan Wilkins.
Toss : Desert Vipers skipper Lockie Ferguson won the toss and chose to field with one change in the playing XI. Sharjah Warriorz skipper Tim Southee who also wanted to bowl first made 3 changes in the playing XI with Tim Siefert and Ashton Agar being notable additions.
Mohammad Amir’s lethal spell of 4-fer alongside Wanindu Hasaranga skittles Sharjah Warriorz to paltry 91 runs
Earlier, the Desert Vipers won the toss and chose to bowl. That proved to be a brilliant decision as Mohammad Amir weaved his magic with the new ball. The Pakistani pacer needed just four deliveries to make his intentions clear as Johnson Charles flicked it off his pads straight to Dan Lawrence along the ropes at deep backward square. Mohammad Amir would pick up two wickets in his first over as he sent Avishka Fernando back to the pavilion too.
Mohammad Amir came back to haunt the Sharjah Warriorz batting line-up as he made full use of the pitch. A slightly shorter delivery undid Rohan Mustafa, who tried to flick it away on the leg side, but only got a leading edge and Sam Curran took a simple catch.

The Sharjah Warriorz were in a precarious position at this point, struggling at 15/3 after three overs The Desert Vipers were relentless in their attacking bowling and were rewarded with another wicket in the fourth over when Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s miss-timed shot earned David Payne his first.
With the batting crumbling, Luke Wells took the onus to steady the ship. The Englishman struck back-to-back boundaries and just when it seemed like he’d found his footing, Wanindu Hasaranga knocked over his stumps with a peach of a delivery. Wells was playing for the googly, but Hasaranga spun the ball in as it sneaked in between bat and pad to crash onto the leg stump. Reeling at 30/5, the Sharjah Warriorz brought Jason Roy on as an Impact Sub to replace Fernando.
Typically an opening batsman, Roy found himself in an unfamiliar position batting at number seven, for the first time in his career, but did well to slow things down. The runs didn’t flow off his bat, but Roy and Tim Seifert held things together in the middle. That was until Hasaranga struck again with a stunning over.

Seifert was the first to depart as a Hasaranga googly stayed low and struck him on the pads for a plumb lbw. Some lightning-quick skills from Tanish Suri behind the stumps saw Hasaranga pick up his second of the over as Agar was beaten by a length ball and subsequently stumped. That marked Hasaranga’s 300th wicket in T20s, making him the first Sri Lankan spinner to achieve the feat.
The Sharjah Warriorz were down to 45/7 and the Desert Vipers were in complete control of the contest but suffered a setback when their skipper Lockie Ferguson hobbled off the pitch after twisting his ankle. Curran assumed the captaincy responsibilities, while Roy held his bat for the Warriorz. He was their last batting hope but lacked support from the other end as Curran accounted for Harmeet Singh and Tim Southee.
But while his sensational spell grabbed headlines, it was his celebration after his third wicket that stole the show. Mohammad Amir channeled his inner Allu Arjun with the iconic Pushpa celebration, and the crowd absolutely loved it. Social media went into a frenzy with fans showering praise on the pacer for his filmy moment.
Mohammad Amir came back to claim a fourth and with it, the Sharjah Warriorz were bundled out for 91 in 19.1 overs. Mohammad Amir finished with an impressive 4/24, which is the best bowling performance in the Desert Vipers’ history. Hasaranga also claimed a piece of history as his 3/10 was the most economical four-over spell in DP World ILT20.
Fakhar Zaman’s quickfire 71* gives Desert Vipers an 10 wicket win over Sharjah Warriorz
The Desert Vipers wasted no time in their chase as Alex Hales got them off to a flyer with a flurry of boundaries. He clobbered Tim Southee for three fours and then smashed Adam Milne for a maximum as the side raced to 20/0 inside the first two overs. Zaman joined in on the action with some clean hitting as he went after Bangladeshi pacer Junaid Siddique in his first over. He went across the stump and cut him away for a boundary and then struck a beautiful pull shot for four more.
Fakhar Zaman was in his groove and seemed to have a simple target – to not let the bowlers settle in. He went after Ashton Agar, hitting him for a massive six with a massive slog sweep. The Pakistani batter darted down the track for the next delivery and hit it straight past the bowler as the Desert Vipers put up 47 runs after five overs.

At the same stage in the first innings, the Sharjah Warriorz were 18/4. The gulf in batting was evident as the required run rate dipped below three runs an over and the Desert Vipers’ batsmen made merry in the middle. Hales was happy to play the supporting role while Fakhar Zaman fired on all cylinders.
He targeted Siddique again in the seventh over, using all his might to muscle the ball over long on and into the stands. Fakhar Zaman brought up his half-century soon after, his second of the season, in 30 balls.

In response, Fakhar Zaman was in a mood to entertain as he bludgeoned a blistering 71 off 39 balls. His quickfire knock included seven fours and four huge sixes which left the Warriorz bowlers searching for answers. Alex Hales played a steady hand with 23 off 21 as the Vipers chased down the target in just 10 overs and clinched a comprehensive victory
It was a matter of time before the Desert Vipers chased down the target and Zaman accelerated that process by executing a textbook slog-sweep to hit Agar for six and followed that up with a lovely six over long-on to wrap up the contest in style. Fakhar Zaman finished on an impressive 71* in 39 balls while the Desert Vipers clinched a commanding 10-wicket victory.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Lockie Ferguson the winning DV skipper said : It’s not ideal, it’s just a sprain in the ankle, should be fine in a couple of days’ time. Not sure, wake up tomorrow and we go from there. Last game we were off in all three areas, the way we bounced back was exceptional tonight. It has got nothing to do with outside pressure, T20 is like that, you need to bounce back. Hasaranga was licking his lips on such a challenging wicket.
Tim Southee the losing SW skipper said : They always hurt, when you are six for 30-odd it is always tough but the beauty of this competition is we have got a couple of days off, dust ourselves off and again meet these guys. T20 cricket can be one-sided at times and hopefully we will correct it in a few days’ time. When you have got 90 on the board, need to get early wickets but a couple of dangerous batters and you are as good as done after that.
Mohammad Amir Player of the Match for his 4-fer said : As a new-ball bowler, try to swing if you can. I always believe you have to bowl according to the wicket and I was trying to bowl in the right areas.
As a bowler you need to adapt as quickly as you can to conditions. [on his wicket celebration]Last week I watched the movie Pushpa 2 and the hero used to do like that. We have got a great bowling unit, and we are performing as a unit. [on if he knew his figures were the best for the Vipers in ILT20 history] I did not know that.
But while his sensational spell grabbed headlines, it was his celebration after his third wicket that stole the show. Mohammad Amir channeled his inner Allu Arjun with the iconic Pushpa celebration, and the crowd absolutely loved it. Social media went into a frenzy with fans showering praise on the pacer for his filmy moment.
Mohammad Amir was in no mood to mess around as he wreaked havoc with the new ball. He first sent Johnson Charles packing with a peach of a delivery, and not long after, he got rid of the dangerous Avishka Fernando, who has been in top form this season. Both wickets were classic Amir: swing, precision, and sheer skill.
However, the moment of the night came on the last ball of his third over. Mohammad Amir bowled a full-length delivery, targeting the stumps. Rohan Mustafa, trying to flick it away, ended up getting a leading edge that flew straight to Sam Curran at mid-off. Mustafa departed for two, and Mohammad Amir erupted in celebration which resulted in the crowd going wild. It was a moment straight out of a blockbuster movie, and Mohammad Amir looked every bit the star of the night.
While Amir’s spell set the tone, Wanindu Hasaranga joined the party, grabbing three crucial wickets to bundle out Sharjah Warriorz for a paltry 91.
In response, Fakhar Zaman was in a mood to entertain as he bludgeoned a blistering 71 off 39 balls. His quickfire knock included seven fours and four huge sixes which left the Warriorz bowlers searching for answers. Alex Hales played a steady hand with 23 off 21 as the Vipers chased down the target in just 10 overs and clinched a comprehensive victory.
What a crushing win this is for the Vipers. They have made mincemeat of the target of 91. Fakhar Zaman once he gets going is always a dangerous customer and he struck some massive blows to put this game to bed. Hales was happy to play second-fiddle and just a bad night in the office for the Warriorz. Their batting was a letdown and they did not have enough to make any impact on the game.
The Vipers stay top of the table and their NRR has gotten a massive boost too after tonight’s win. Warriorz meanwhile lie just above the Giants at the bottom of the table.