Wanindu Hasaranga. Pic Credits: X

ILT20 2025 : Max Holden’s Fifty Powers Vipers To Victory After Wanindu Hasaranga’s Sensational Spell

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Sri Lanka star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga scripted a big record and created history in T20 cricket. Wanindu Hasaranga has been one of the consistent performers for Sri Lanka since making his debut in white-ball cricket. Wanindu Hasaranga has performed well in T20 leagues worldwide. Wanindu Hasaranga has been a part of 209 T20 matches and recently became the fastest bowler to take 300 wickets. Wanindu Hasaranga reached the milestone after dismissing Ashton Agar in the match between Sharjah Warriorz and Desert Vipers in ILT20.

Overall, Wanindu Hasaranga has claimed 301 scalps, including 3 five-wicket hauls and 9 four-wicket hauls. Wanindu Hasaranga has accumulated 2335 runs at a strike rate of 145.21. He has hit 9 fifties so far. Earlier, Andrew Tye held the record. The Australia fast bowler reached the landmark in 211 matches. Rashid Khan is the third fastest. He picked up 300 wickets in 213 contests.

Desert Vipers beat the Gulf Giants in the 24th fixture of the ILT20 2025 season. The Giants succumbed to a lowly total of 129 runs despite Tom Curran’s unbeaten 64 off 34 balls. While the Vipers lost the openers early, Max Holden held his end of the crease to slam stunning 70* off 54 balls, leading Vipers to a comfortable five-wicket victory with 6 balls to spare.

Pitch Report and Toss

Pitch Report : The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has proven to be a balanced track in the ongoing ILT20 2025, offering a fair contest between bat and ball. The pitch has shown early assistance for pacers, with the new ball generating significant swing. The powerplay has been a testing phase for batters. However, once batters settle, the track allows for fluent stroke play.

After nine matches at this venue, the average first innings score stands at 148.56. The dew factor has also played its part, particularly in evening games, making it challenging for spinners in the second innings and complicating efforts to defend totals. With chasing teams enjoying considerable success so far in the tournament, captains winning the toss are likely to opt to bowl first.

Toss : Desert Vipers skipper Lockie Fergusson  won the toss and opted to field with Wanindu Hasaranga coming in the playing XI. Gulf Giants skipper James Vince who also wanted to bowl first bought in Chris Jordan and Tim David in the playing XI.

Tom Curran’s 64* a lone fighter as Wanindu Hasaranga’s 3-fer alongside Sam Curran’s 3-fer restricts GG to 129 for 8 in 20 overs

Gulf Giants batted first but openers James Vince and Alsop were dismissed on 15 and 17 respectively. Moreover, Wanindu Hasaranga delivered a sensational spell to completely uproot the Giants’ middle order. In his four-over spells, the spin maestro scalped 3 wickets and conceded just 10 runs to rescue the Giants to 61/8.

Batting first, the Gulf Giants never found their rhythm. Their captain, James Vince, was dismissed early for 15 by Sam Curran, setting the tone for a challenging innings. The powerplay yielded only 31 runs, and things only got worse from there. Wanindu Hasaranga, known for his lethal leg-spin, wreaked havoc in the middle overs, dismantling the Giants’ top order with surgical precision. He bowled Tom Alsop for 17, trapped Jordan Cox LBW for just three, and later returned to claim another key scalp, making life difficult for the Giants.

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

The Desert Vipers’ strategy of relentless pressure worked wonders, with Khuzaima Tanveer joining the party by removing Shimron Hetmyer in the ninth over. Sam Curran further compounded the Giants’ troubles, pulling off a sharp return catch to dismiss Gerhard Erasmus. The situation looked dire as the Giants reeled at 58/6, with no signs of recovery.

Amidst the collapse, Tim David briefly lifted hopes with an aggressive approach, smashing a six off Lockie Ferguson. However, his attempt to replicate the stroke on the very next ball led to his dismissal, leaving the Giants in deeper trouble. The Vipers’ bowling attack, spearheaded by Wanindu Hasaranga and Curran, left no room for the opposition to settle.

Desert Vipers Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Desert Vipers Bowling Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

The Gulf Giants were on the cusp of facing a humiliating collapse before Tom Curran unleashed his magic. He slammed a blazing half-century to finish 64* off 34 balls, including 9 fours and a single six. His blazing finish powered the Giants to a respectable total of 129 runs.

Despite the struggles, Tom Curran stood tall, single-handedly carrying the innings on his shoulders. He brought up a well-crafted 30-ball fifty and turned the final overs into a personal highlight reel. The 19th over saw him take on his younger brother, Sam Curran, hammering two fours and a six in what turned out to be the most productive over of the innings. Another 14 runs in the last over helped the Giants push their total to 129/8, a score that still seemed below par against a strong Vipers’ batting lineup.

Max Holden’s Fifty shines Desert Vipers Secure Top-Two Finish with Commanding Victory Over Gulf Giants

In a nothing chase, the Desert Vipers had a false start as Fakhar Zaman embarrassed himself against Blessing Muzarabani. He sliced a length delivery from Blessing Muzarabani straight to Tom Curran at third man. Despite looking in good touch with two boundaries and a six, Fakhar couldn’t believe his miscalculated shot found the fielder perfectly stationed. In 3.3 overs, the Vipers were reduced to 24/2.

Chasing 130 for victory, the Desert Vipers approached their target cautiously but suffered early setbacks. Mark Adair struck first, dismissing Alex Hales, while Blessing Muzarabani accounted for Fakhar Zaman, thanks to exceptional fielding efforts by Chris Jordan and Tom Curran. These early wickets left the Vipers at 42/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Dan Lawrence’s struggle continued as he fell cheaply to Chris Jordan, leaving the Vipers needing stability in the middle order. Max Holden, however, stood firm and showcased exceptional shot selection. He stitched together a crucial 45-run stand with Sam Curran, ensuring that the required run rate remained under control.

Desert Vipers Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo
Desert Vipers Batting Line Up. Pic Credits: ESPNcricinfo

Sam Curran, who had contributed with the ball earlier, attempted to accelerate but fell victim to Muzarabani’s brilliance, with James Vince taking a brilliant catch. Despite the steady chase, the Vipers never got too far ahead of the equation, requiring 33 runs in the final five overs. Holden remained undeterred, reaching a well-deserved half-century in 42 balls, a knock that included six boundaries and a six.

After Fakhar Zaman’s wicket, Max Holden took charge of the Desert Vipers’ chase. He slammed a commendable 70* off 54 balls, including 9 fours and a single six. Adam Hose supported him from the other end with 12 off 9 balls. The duo’s grit and patience powered the Desert Vipers to a comfortable five-wicket victory. They achieved the target in 19 overs to secure a dominant win.

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

Muzarabani struck once again, removing Azam Khan, giving the Gulf Giants a faint glimmer of hope. However, Holden, showing remarkable composure, ensured that the chase remained on track. He formed a steady partnership with Adam Hose, adding an unbeaten 32-run stand in 21 balls, guiding the Vipers to victory in 19 overs.

It was a clinical performance by the Vipers, who not only dominated with the ball but also displayed maturity in their run chase. The win reaffirmed their status as title contenders, and with a top-two finish secured, they will enter the playoffs with supreme confidence.

Presentations and Road Ahead

Lockie Ferguson the winning DV skipper said : Boys are very happy, last game was a tough one for the lads, the bowling was exceptional. Was a good wicket in the end, we have talked about bowling the hard length. Mo has been leading us from the top.

Maxi has been unreal, he has been training so hard, he is the heartbeat of the team, nice to see him get some runs. We will see how it goes, nice to see Sherf back as well. We will have a couple of days off now, team golf day tomorrow and we will see from there.

James Vince the losing GG skipper said : Wasn’t a great performance with the bat. 130 was always tough to defend. The first 10 overs of the batting innings put us on the back foot. We fought really well with the ball and took it as far as we could but a little short with the bat.

At one stage we were looking at less than 100, he gave us a bit of belief, fantastic partnership between TC and Aayan. [on not bowling Aayan earlier] Felt seam was quite threatening and with the short boundary, felt it did not match up well. With the batters in the middle, Gerhard was the better option. It’s do or die now, need to put in two good performances and try and sneak in.

Wanindu Hasaranga Player of the Match for his 3 wickets for 10 runs said :  Try to bowl my basic things and the wrong’un, that’s my plan for success. I love to bowl here, even in the Asia Cup as well I took wickets. The fast bowlers did a great job and the batters have done their jobs, as a team we have done our things well.

Vipers are guaranteed a top-two spot after this win. The chase was led by Max Holden who was brilliant with his off-side play. Often making room to drive and cut hard, he found the fence and guided his side home with an unbeaten 70. The Giants took wickets to keep themselves in the game but couldn’t get Holden who was the main contributor. The next best score in the Vipers innings was 16 from Sam Curran. Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers for the Giants with a three-fer but the runs on the board were not enough for the Giants.

Wanindu Hasaranga will also compete against Australia in a two-match ODI series. The sub-continent team failed to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

In 26 IPL matches, he has scored 72 runs and scalped 35 wickets. He was bought by Rajasthan Royals for INR 5.25 crore in IPL 2025 mega auction. He made his IPL debut with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2022. The franchise paid INR 10.75 crore for his services. Sunrisers Hyderabad added him to their squad in IPL 2024 but he was ruled out.

With this victory, the Desert Vipers now sit comfortably atop the points table, ensuring they get two chances at making the final. Meanwhile, the Gulf Giants have been left with an uphill task, as their playoff qualification hopes now hang in the balance.

This season of the DP World ILT20 has been nothing short of spectacular, with teams battling fiercely for a place in the playoffs. With the business end of the tournament approaching, the intensity is only expected to rise, and the Desert Vipers, with their formidable squad, are undoubtedly the team to beat.

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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