Choosing to field first, the Desert Vipers made an early breakthrough when Mohammed Amir secured the outside edge of the in-form Kusal Perera in the opening over. The second-wicket partnership of Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher contributed a brisk 33 runs before succumbing to the pace variations of Luke Wood within the powerplay.
Despite amassing 52 runs during the field restrictions, the middle order faced challenges as Sri Lankan duo Matheesha Pathirana and Wanindu Hasarana contained Nicholas Pooran and Ambati Rayudu. The slinky pacer dismissed Caribbean southpaw Akeal Hosein surprisingly early in the eighth over, with Tim David held back.
Hosein and David then stabilized the innings, adding 49 runs before Pathirana caught and bowled Hosein in the 15th over, breaking their crucial partnership. However, in the death overs, the MI Emirates batting lineup collapsed, resulting in a final score of 149/9 in 20 overs.
The Desert Vipers encountered a rough start as openers Rohan Mustafa and Alex Hales failed to make an impact with the bat. By the end of the powerplay, the Vipers were 36/4, losing skipper Colin Munro and Wanindu Hasaranga in quick succession.
A disciplined bowling performance by MI Emirates, spearheaded by Fazhalhaq Farooqi and Muhammed Rohid Khan, led to a middle-order collapse for the Vipers. At the conclusion of the 9th over, the scorecard stood at 62/5, with Munro and Adam Hose departing.
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However, Hasaranga and Pakistani star Azam Khan steadied the middle order with a 34-run partnership. Despite a few quick partnerships in the lower order, the Vipers couldn’t accelerate further. The situation took a turn in the death overs as Shaheen Shah Afridi displayed remarkable grit, guiding his side to victory in the last over.
With three runs needed off the final ball, Afridi’s thick outside edge raced to the right of the square third-man area, allowing him to secure three runs and lead the Vipers to a 2-wicket victory over MI Emirates.
