MI Emirates booked their place in the knockout stages with authority, defeating the Gulf Giants by eight wickets at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Their fourth consecutive win was built on a disciplined bowling effort and sealed by a magnificent, unbroken 140-run stand between Nicholas Pooran (69*) and Muhammad Waseem (59*).
Bowlers Set the Stage
Asked to bowl first, MI Emirates' attack applied immediate pressure. Romario Shepherd (2/36) struck early to remove James Vince, setting the tone for a tight powerplay that restricted the Giants to 36/3.
Spinners Arab Gul and Shakib Al Hasan squeezed the middle overs effectively, with Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/17) delivering crucial wickets. Despite a fighting 51 from Moeen Ali and a late flourish from Kyle Mayers (28*), the Giants could only post a modest 141/6.
Early Jitters, Then Dominance
The chase began disastrously for MI Emirates, crumbling to 2 for 2 in the second over after Mark Adair and Azmatullah Omarzai removed the openers cheaply. With the innings in the balance, Nicholas Pooran and Muhammad Waseem walked in to stage a spectacular recovery.
The Match-Winning Partnership
The pair initially focused on stability, carefully navigating the early movement. After reaching 58/2 at the halfway mark, they explosively shifted gears. Pooran accelerated to a 43-ball fifty, while Waseem, playing the anchor, brought up his first fifty of the season from 38 balls.
Their century partnership came off just 74 deliveries, effectively dismantling the Giants' attack. The finish was emphatic, with Pooran hitting back-to-back sixes in the 16th over to seal the win with 21 balls to spare.
Post-Match Reactions
We spoke about surviving the first few overs. Once we got through that phase, we settled into our natural game.
A disappointed Gulf Giants skipper James Vince pinpointed his team's recurring issue: “We were short of runs again. Losing early wickets knocked the momentum out… we’re struggling to assess the right tempo.”
With this dominant performance, MI Emirates have cemented their status as serious title contenders as the league moves into its business end.
Brief Scores: Gulf Giants 141/6 in 20 overs (Ali 51, Mayers 28*; Farooqi 2/17, Shepherd 2/36) MI Emirates 142/2 in 16.3 overs (Pooran 69*, Waseem 59*; Omarzai 1/20, Adair 1/30). MI Emirates won by eight wickets.
