International League T20 2023

‘Adani kahi to acha kar raha h’ – Fans react as Gulf Giants win inaugural ILT20

Gulf Giants beat Desert Vipers by seven wickets in the final to win the inaugural International T20 (ILT20) League on Sunday.

Feb 13, 2023 12:36 pm

Gulf Giants beat Desert Vipers by seven wickets in the final to win the inaugural International T20 (ILT20) League at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday, February 12. The Gulf Giants captain James Vince won the toss and opted to bat first. The James Vince-led team restricted Desert Vipers to 146 for 8 in 20 overs, with Carlos Brathwaite picking three wickets.

Desert Vipers’ opener Rohan Mustafa bravely started the game as he stepped out and smashed Colin de Grandhomme through extra cover for a boundary. Meanwhile, his opening partner Alex Hales fell to the first ball of the second over from Carlos Brathwaite, caught by the captain Vince.

Mustafa too got run out in the fifth ball of the same over. Adam Lyth was also dismissed by Grandhomme very soon. Vipers’ skipper Colin Munro walked in with his team struggling at 25 for 3 in 4.3 overs.

Brathwaite found another breakthrough in the 15th over, having Billings caught by Wiese who had to run back for the catch. It was a stunning one-handed blinder of a catch. He also ensured the ball did not drop off. Wanindu Hasaranga then followed at his score on 55 falling in 16th over with Wiese. Qais Ahmed then removed Luke Wood for 3 and Tom Curran was clean bowled by Brathwaite for 13 as Vipers posted 146/8 in the allotted overs.

However, Desert Vipers failed to post a decent total despite Hasaranga’s 55 off 27 balls which included six boundaries and two sixes. Billings also had chipped in with 31 off 29 balls with three boundaries. The pair had put on 72 runs in 37 balls for their fifth wicket.

Chasing 147, Gulf Giants’ wrapped up the game in the 18th over, courtesy of Chris Lynn’s unbeaten 72 backed by Gerhard Erasmus’s 30 runs and Shimron Hetmyer’s unbeaten 25 runs. Lynn created an electrifying atmosphere with his 72 runs, which came off 50 balls with nine boundaries and one six.

Lynn and Erasmus hoisted a 73-run stubborn partnership in 62 balls. After Erasmus got dismissed, Lynn then added an unbeaten 50-run partnership off 25 balls with Hetmyer.