ILT20

Meanwhile, the Gulf Giants cemented their place at the top of the table further by continuing their unbeaten run in the tournament. Even though the Desert Vipers put up a huge total of 195 for four in their 20 overs at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, Chris Lynn and Shimron Hetmyer strung a partnership of 117 runs to help the Giants chase down their target with three balls to spare.

Naveen-ul-Haq was backed by Chris Woakes (2-11) and Junaid Siddiqui (2-18) as they bowled with clinical accuracy and bundle out Gulf Giants for 130 in 19.4 overs Sharjah had posted only a modest total of 151/7 in 20 overs. They came into this match defeating Dubai Capitals and thus recorded their second win while Gulf Giants' four-match winning streak came to an end.

The MI Emirates didn't get off to the best of starts as they lost Muhammad Waseem, Will Smeed and Nicholas Pooran with just 26 runs on the board. However, the MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard didn't lose hope. He smashed Akif Raja for a six and a four and kept the MI team in the game at 83 for three at the end of the twelfth over.

The anthem, which reflects the rich culture and the royalty of the city of Dubai, has been written and composed by the award-winning Urban R&B singer and songwriter Sid K. With Arabic percussions blending in perfectly with the hip hop beats, the Dubai Capitals anthem will leave the fans grooving to its tune and chanting its hook line

"I've always admired Anil Kumble; obviously, he is an amazing bowler and a great competitor. And then I was fortunate enough to work with him in the coaching context. But I've got to settle with Sachin. We played against him a lot, and he scored tonnes of runs against us."

With his knock, the 6ft 5inch tall England opener earned the honour of becoming the first century maker of this tournament backed by his skipper Colin Munro's 56 runs off 46 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. Together, they put on a 164 runs partnership off 95 balls for the second wicket to post a mammoth score of 219 for 4, the highest score of the tournament.

Gulf Giants posted an impressive 181 for 6, riding on their heavy scoring skipper Vince's 76 off 48 balls with four boundaries and four sixes. Thereafter, Wiese (3 for 3) and Jordan (3 for 12) backed by Richard Gleeson (2 for 14) bowled out Dubai Capitals for a paltry 80 runs in 14.3 over for a big-margin victory.

Deadly strikes by MI Emirates' veteran and experienced bowlers Dwayne Bravo and Imran Tahir, who shared five wickets between them, restricted Sharjah Warriors to 146 for 7 in 20 overs. Chasing the target, MI Emirates won in 17.1 overs with 17 balls to spare through another fine knock of 40 runs from UAE's Muhammad Waseem and Nicholas Pooran's breezy 39 runs.

Once the winning team has lifted the magnificent DP World ILT20 tournament trophy, and as part of the final presentations, the coveted Black Belt will be presented to the owner of the victorious team. Also during the presentations, the most valuable player of the league will be recognised and receive the stunning Red Belt, acknowledging his crowd-pleasing, consistent efforts.

While the players are getting a chance to experience several distinct initiatives, such as the usage of fan-engaging Smartball technology on the field, the cricketing superstars are being presented with a unique set of awards during the competition, which kicked off following a glittering opening ceremony at the Dubai International on Frida. The tournament is being held across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.