Pathum Nissanka produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting, firing an explosive 67 from just 31 balls to propel the Gulf Giants to a decisive four-wicket victory over the Dubai Capitals on Saturday. The win catapulted the Giants to the summit of the DP World ILT20 Season 4 standings, showcasing their credentials as serious title contenders.
Chasing a target of 161 at the Dubai International Stadium, the Giants’ pursuit was masterminded by the Sri Lankan opener. After the early dismissal of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9), Nissanka launched a stunning assault, particularly targeting James Neesham in a fourth over that yielded three towering sixes. His acceleration powered the Giants to 60/1 by the end of the powerplay, and he brought up his second consecutive half-century of the season in a blistering 23 deliveries.
Nissanka’s 97-run partnership with skipper James Vince proved to be the cornerstone of the chase. After Nissanka fell to Mustafizur Rahman and Moeen Ali departed soon after to Capitals’ captain Dasun Shanaka, Vince (50* off 45) provided the perfect anchor. His composed, unbeaten fifty, supplemented by handy cameos from Azmatullah Omarzai (14) and Tom Moores (13), steered the Giants home with seven balls to spare.
Earlier, the Dubai Capitals posted 160/6 after being asked to bat, a total that appeared competitive but ultimately proved insufficient. Opener Sediqullah Atal (35) and David Willey (29) laid a steady foundation with a 61-run stand. However, the innings lost crucial momentum in the middle overs, stifled by the Giants’ spin trio of Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, and the economical Aayan Afzal Khan (1/3 from 2 overs). A late flurry from Jordan Cox (31) and an unbeaten 9-ball 23 from Shanaka, featuring two final-over sixes, provided a late boost.
The key figure with the ball for the Giants was Azmatullah Omarzai, who delivered crucial breakthroughs at pivotal moments. After removing opener Shayan Jahangir early, he returned in the death overs to dismiss the dangerous Cox and Rovman Powell in the 18th over, finishing with 3/46 and further solidifying his lead in the White Belt race for the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.
Post-Match Reactions:
Giants captain Moeen Ali hailed his team’s clinical performance: “Getting the points while knowing we can still play better is a good sign. We squeezed them brilliantly in the middle with the ball, and the chase was exceptional. Nissanka is a brilliant player, and Vince controlled it perfectly at the other end.”
A reflective Dasun Shanaka, captain of the Dubai Capitals, pinpointed his team’s middle-phase struggles: “Nissanka is in the form of his life — small guy, massive hitting. We lost our way in the middle period; the intent wasn’t there and we waited too long to rotate strike. Perhaps Rovman and I should have gone in to bat earlier to attack.”
Brief Scores:
Dubai Capitals: 160/6 in 20 overs (Sediqullah Atal 35, Jordan Cox 31, David Willey 29; Azmatullah Omarzai 3/46, Aayan Afzal Khan 1/3)
Gulf Giants: 161/6 in 18.5 overs (Pathum Nissanka 67, James Vince 50*; Dasun Shanaka 2/16, Mustafizur Rahman 2/26)
Result: Gulf Giants won by 4 wickets.
Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka.
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