Dec 04th: It was a night of redemption for the Desert Vipers, who defeated defending champions Dubai Capitals by four wickets in the opening fixture of DP World ILT20 Season 4 at the Dubai International Stadium. The season itself began in a magnificent fashion at the Dubai International Stadium, coinciding with the 54th UAE National Day celebrations. Emirati singer Ahmed Al Hosani set the tone with a moving rendition of the national anthem, followed by a spectacular fireworks display that lit up the stadium and marked the official start of the tournament.
With the ceremony wrapped and the crowd fully charged, attention shifted to the season’s first ball at 8:45 pm IST. The Vipers won the toss, chose to bowl, and carried that early intent straight through to a memorable opening-night victory.
Commenting on the ceremony, Laxmi Shetty, Head-Advertisement Revenue, Broadcast and Digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., “The electrifying opening of DP World ILT20 Season 4 had everything you would expect from a tournament of this scale. The cricket was fierce, the atmosphere was buzzing, and you could sense what it meant to fans tuning in across our channels and on Zee 5. The first match showed once again why ILT20 has earned its place in the cricket calendar. It’s exactly why we back this league so strongly. It brings top-tier talent and real drama straight into people’s homes. We are excited to carry this momentum forward as the season unfolds.”
Cricket fans and sports enthusiasts across India can catch the LIVE action exclusively on &Pictures SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Action, Zee Thirai – SD, Zee Cinemalu and OTT platform Zee 5.
The Vipers brought an end to a six-match losing streak against the Capitals in a rematch of last season’s final. The triumph was powered by a half-century from Andries Gous and a comprehensive performance with the ball. The result also marked the Vipers’ 21st victory across all seasons of the competition – the most by any team.
In the run chase, Desert Vipers were comfortably ahead of the equation with openers Fakhar Zaman (26 off 15) and Andries Gous (58 off 36) putting on a quickfire 50-run stand. Zaman smashed two sixes and a four before he was dismissed by Mohammad Nabi in the fifth over – the first time Zaman has fallen to a spinner in the DP World ILT20. Gous was equally aggressive, carving three fours off Scott Currie as the Vipers finished the powerplay at 64/1.
Batting first, Dubai Capitals faced early pressure as the Vipers’ pacers made immediate inroads. Sediqullah Atal (16 off 13) fell to Naseem Shah, Gulbadin Naib (0 off 1) was undone by a stellar return catch from Sam Curran, and Jordan Cox (2 off 7) became Dan Lawrence’s first scalp, leaving the Capitals struggling at 32/3.
Player of the Match, Andries Gous said:
“It was a bit slow up front, but it started to get better when we were batting. I’ve come in with confidence, so it is something I want to keep going. It’s good to get that first fifty behind as we go into the rest of the tournament, they are some very good teams.”
Reflecting on the loss, Dasun Shanaka, captain of the Dubai Capitals, said:
“I think with the ball and the bat we were not up to the mark today. We need to hold our line and length; 150-160 is the par score here. Hopefully we can come up with better plans next time.”
Cricket fans and sports enthusiasts across India can catch the LIVE action exclusively on &Pictures SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Action, Zee Thirai – SD, Zee Cinemalu and OTT platform Zee 5.