Nicholas Pooran. Pic Credits: X

ILT20 2025 : James Vince’s 86 In Vain; Nicholas Pooran’s Blistering Half Century & Romario Shepherd’s Cameo Takes MI Emirates Closer To Playoffs

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The MI Emirates’ captain Nicholas Pooran was in the form of his life, guiding his side over the line against the Gulf Giants in the ILT20 Season 3 at the Dubai International Stadium here on Friday evening. The MI Emirates won the game by five wickets and registered their first season victory in Dubai. Skipper Nicholas Pooran, who walked away with the Player of the Match award, finished unbeaten on 58 off 37 deliveries and made a huge impact in the match.

MI Emirates beat Gulf Giants by 5 wickets in the 26th match of the ILT20 2025 season. The Giants posted a decent total of 174 runs on the board after James Vince slammed 86 off 50 balls. However, despite quick wickets in the second inning, MI Emirates stole an inspiring victory courtesy of skipper Nicholas Pooran’s unbeaten half-century and Romario Shepherd’s quickfire 23 off 9 balls.

Pitch Report and Toss

Pitch report: Your left arm bowlers might want to bowl from one end. It is 73 meters to one side. The seam bowlers shouldn’t get much. You have to be brave as a seam bowler. It is gonna be batsmen’s night.

Toss : Mumbai Indians Emirates skipper Nicholas Pooran won the toss and chose to bowl with Kieron Pollard missing the match and Akeal Hossein taking his place in the playing XI. Gulf Giants skipper James Vince batting first made one forced change as Tom Alsop missed the match due to injury.

Gulf Giants skipper James Vince 86 runs powers Gulf Giants to 173 for 6 in 20 overs

Earlier, Nicholas Pooran won the toss and opted to field first. Gerhard Erasmus hit the first six of the innings but fell to Akeal Hossein in the third over. Vince hit a few boundaries as Giants had 52 runs on the board after six overs. Alzarri Joseph got the breakthrough with Jordan Cox’s wicket in the 10th over. Cox scored 20 runs from 21 balls.

Earlier in the evening, the Gulf Giants, put into bat first, were off to a brisk start as openers Gerhard Erasmus and James Vince found the boundaries quite regularly. The duo threatened to go big before Akeal Hossein had Erasmus’ number for 12 in the third over.

That brought Jordan Cox to the middle alongside Vince, and the duo continued to score at a good clip, ending the powerplay with the score at 52/1. Cox and Vince attacked the bad balls, running hard between the wickets and putting on a 51-run stand. Alzarri Joseph though broke the partnership in the 10th over. Tom Curran added 13 to the cause, as Vince marched on and got to his fifty as well.

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

With the final phase of the innings approaching, Vince, who was motoring along, had Shimron Hetmyer for company, and the Gulf Giants had the perfect platform to tee off. Tom Curran was promoted up the order but fell for a 12-ball 13 to Waqar Salamkheil. Vince reached his fifty from 35 balls in the 14th over.

MI Emirates Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
MI Emirates Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

James Vince targeted Fazalhaq Farooqi in the 16th over hitting him for two fours and a six. Shimron Hetmyer accelerated as well but Muhammad Rohid Khan prevented them from posting a mammoth total. In the 18th over, he dismissed Hetmyer and Vince. Hetmyer scored 15 runs from 14 balls whereas Vince’s 50-ball 86 was laced with 10 fours and a six. In the penultimate over, two boundaries were scored. Farooqi came back well in the final over with the wicket of David. 11 runs were scored in the final over as Giants posted 173/6.

A couple of eight-run overs were followed up by a 19-run 16th over, as Vince put the long handle to good use and was playing a captain’s knock. Soon after though, the MI Emirates applied the brakes on the Giants, as they claimed the wickets of Hetmyer for 15, and Vince for 86 from 50 deliveries, his highest individual score in the ILT20. Eventually, Tim David and Chris Jordan wrapped up the innings for the Giants, scoring 10 not out each, and taking the total to 173/6 in 20 overs.

Nicholas Pooran’s fifty and Romario Shepherd’s cameo leads MI Emirates one step closer to ILT20 2025 playoffs

Waseem and Andre Fletcher got run chase off to a flier. Waseem hit two sixes and as many fours in his 10-ball 26 before falling to Aayan Khan in the fourth over. MI Emirates scored 50 runs from the powerplay overs. Tom Banton did not last long at the crease either and lost his wicket to Aayan in the eighth over for a 13-ball 11.

In response, the MI Emirates kicked off in fifth gear. Openers Andre Fletcher and Muhammad Waseem scored freely in the early overs, hitting a flurry of boundaries. The opening stand produced 44 runs before Waseem departed for 26 off 10. Tom Banton added 11 to the cause before Aayan Khan made him his second scalp.

Vince then ran out Kusal Perera for one, but Fletcher continued to chip away at the other end. The opener scored 31 and was cast by Blessing Muzarabani, who bowled a fantastic spell of 1 for 17 in 4 overs. The wickets had slowed down the MI Emirates, who had Nicholas Pooran and Bevon Jacobs looking to resurrect the chase.

MI Emirates Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
MI Emirates Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

In the same over, Kusal Perera was run out after a mix-up with Fletcher. At the halfway stage, MI Emirates were 65/3 as boundaries dried up and Nicholas Pooran took his time. Fletcher ended the dry run with a boundary but lost his wicket to Blessing Muzarabani in the same over. The opener contributed with a run-a-ball 31.

On his MI debut, Bevon Jacobs hit a six and a four to accelerate. Nicholas Pooran accelerated as well. In the 16th over bowled by Curran, 17 runs were scored including two fours and a six off Nicholas Pooran’s bat. Chris Jordan ended young Jacobs’ cameo in the 17th over.

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

But Nicholas Pooran hit a six and a four off the over. He reached his fifty from 33 balls. In the penultimate over, Shepherd went berserk and hit Mark Adair for two fours and a six. In the final over, six runs were needed and Pooran finished the run chase with a maximum. Shepherd scored 23 runs from nine balls. Nicholas Pooran’s 37-ball 58 was laced with six fours and three sixes.

In the final five overs, the MI Emirates needed 71 runs and had six wickets in hand. Nicholas Pooran and Jacobs attacked the bowling, hitting some exquisite shots during a 53-run standoff of 33 balls. Jacobs got 18 after which Chris Jordan accounted for him. Captain Nicholas Pooran though was leading the charge at the other end, with Romario Shepherd happy to play second fiddle.

In the 18th over, Nicholas Pooran brought up his half-century, and the pressure was on the Giants, as the MI Emirates were well and truly in the box seat. Shepherd added a few lusty blows in the penultimate over, as the MI Emirates went into the final over needing six runs. Pooran smashed the first ball over cow corner for a maximum, to seal a fantastic five-wicket win.

Presentations and Road Ahead

James Vince the losing GG skipper said : We didn’t feel it was that straight forward. There was some turn for the slower bowlers. We dropped a catch. It ultimately cost us tonight. We haven’t had the time to look where we are at the table. Tonight hasn’t gone well for us. We will look to bounce back tomorrow.

Nicholas Pooran the winning MICT skipper and Player of the match for his 58 runs said : It is the nature of the game. I have been playing T20s for a long time. I had to get the job done and had to be there till the end. I am more experienced now. I know what’s required. The key is to trust yourself. You need to absorb pressure. This one is for Polly(Pollard). We are starting to get there.

We are moving to the right direction. We would want to get better. We want to rectify our mistakes. The group has been challenged. We are trying to execute the plan to the best of our abilities. I am going to embrace what is required of me. The guys have been supportive. It is about helping each other to grow. This has to be one of my favorite grounds to play on.

MI Emirates secured a five-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants in the DP World ILT20 at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday, with skipper Nicholas Pooran leading from the front with a match-winning unbeaten 58 off 37 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award as his side claimed their first win of the season.

Batting first, the Gulf Giants made a strong start, with openers Gerhard Erasmus and James Vince regularly finding the boundary.

However, their momentum was dented in the third over when Akeal Hossein dismissed Erasmus for 12. Vince, undeterred, found an able partner in Jordan Cox, and together they pushed the score to 52 for one at the end of the powerplay. Cox and Vince put together a solid 51-run stand before Alzarri Joseph dismissed Cox in the 10th over. Tom Curran chipped in with 13, while Vince continued to anchor the innings, reaching his half-century in style.

With the Giants poised for a strong finish, Vince was joined by Shimron Hetmyer, and the duo accelerated in the 16th over, hitting 19 runs. However, MI Emirates fought back, removing Hetmyer (15) and Vince (86 off 50 balls) in quick succession. Late contributions from Tim David and Chris Jordan (both 10 not out) took the Gulf Giants to 173 for six in 20 overs.

Chasing 174, MI Emirates got off to a flying start as openers Andre Fletcher and Muhammad Waseem took the attack to the bowlers. Waseem smashed a rapid 26 off 10 balls before departing, while Tom Banton added 11 before falling to Aayan Khan.

Despite a run-out setback that saw Kusal Perera dismissed for just one, Fletcher continued to hold the innings together, scoring 31 before being castled by Blessing Muzarabani, who impressed with figures of one for 17 in four overs. At 102 for four, MI Emirates faced an uphill task, needing 72 runs off the last five overs.

Nicholas Pooran, however, took control of the chase alongside Bevon Jacobs, forging a crucial 53-run stand off 33 balls. Jacobs’ departure for 18 brought Romario Shepherd to the crease, but Nicholas Pooran remained composed under pressure. Reaching his half-century in the 18th over, Nicholas Pooran shifted gears as Shepherd’s late blows further eased the equation. With six runs needed off the final over, the MI Emirates skipper finished the job in style, smashing a six over cow corner to seal the victory.

Nicholas  Pooran has shown his class! He took his time, survived chances and has seen the chase off with 5 wickets and 5 balls to spare. He was batting on 8 off 21 balls but then changed gears after the time-out and the GG bowlers didn’t have a spot to hide. He did provide a couple of chances and GG didn’t take it. Towards the end, Shepherd also helped his fellow countryman by tonking fours and sixes. MIE move to 10 points with a game to go.

GG remain at the bottom with 6 points. It would really be tough for GG to make it to the top four from this position. The MIE unit have done themselves a massive favour by winning this. They would be elated as it seemed they will fall short in the chase but managed to get over the line thanks to their skipper. Going into the final time-out, 84 was needed off the last 6 overs. But then the Nicholas Pooran show began and didn’t stop till the game’s end.

MIE have won this and have moved to 10 points from 9 games. They have a game to go. Their superior NRR should see them through to the top four even if they lose their last game to the Warriorz. Gulf Giants have a massive task at hand. They have their last game tomorrow against ADKR. This is their last chance but even a win won’t guarantee them a spot in the top four. They will have to rely on other results.

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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