Curran steers Desert Vipers to maiden ILT20 glory

Desert Vipers secured their maiden DP World ILT20 trophy, beating MI Emirates by 46 runs in front of a packed Dubai International Stadium. The Desert Vipers took home a cash prize of USD 700,000.

Vipers' skipper Sam Curran smashed an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls, studded with eight fours and two sixes, to power his team to 182/4. He was well supported by Max Holden (41 off 32) and Dan Lawrence's (23 off 15) late charge. Naseem Shah (3/18), Usman Tariq (2/20), and Khuzaima Tanveer (2/22) led the bowling effort before David Payne's three-wicket haul (3/42) restricted MI Emirates to 136.

Curran capped off an impressive tournament by finishing with both the Red Belt (Most Valuable Player) and the Green Belt (Best Batter). Curran ended the season with 397 runs, including three half-centuries, and complemented his batting efforts with seven wickets and 10 catches.

Vipers' Naseem Shah set the tone early, removing Andre Fletcher and Tom Banton, while Khuzaima Tanveer capitalised with the key wicket of Muhammad Waseem (26 off 13). MI Emirates lost three wickets inside six overs and crawled to 46/3.

MI Emirates' hopes rested on Shakib Al Hasan and Kieron Pollard (28 off 27), who completed their 50-run stand in 38 balls before Tariq delivered a decisive blow by removing Shakib, pushing the equation to a daunting 61 off the final four overs.

After Naseem removed Pollard to end any late resistance, David Payne ripped through the lower order, bagging three wickets in the 18th over. Khuzaima Tanveer sealed the title by clattering Muhammad Rohid's stumps as the Vipers closed out the match with nine balls to spare.

Earlier, the Vipers began briskly in the powerplay as Fakhar Zaman (20 off 15) and Jason Roy put on 34/0 in the first three overs. Momentum shifted in the fourth over when Fazalhaq Farooqi struck twice to dismiss both openers. Curran responded emphatically, smashing three consecutive boundaries in the final over of the powerplay to carry the Vipers to 59/2.

Curran then joined hands with Max Holden, rotating the strike efficiently and attacking smartly to take the Vipers to 83/2 at the halfway stage. The duo completed their 50-run stand in the 11th over, off just 39 balls. Curran kept the offensive going while Holden played the anchor role before Arab Gul ended their 89-run partnership with Holden's wicket in the 15th over.

The Vipers' skipper continued piling on the pressure, bringing up his half-century off 39 balls in the 17th over. His fourth-wicket partnership with Dan Lawrence provided the impetus in the death overs, as they added 57 runs in just 33 balls to carry the team to 182/4.

The White Belt (Best Bowler) was claimed by Dubai Capitals' Waqar Salamkheil, who led the bowling charts with 18 wickets. Meanwhile, MI Emirates' Muhammad Waseem picked up the Blue Belt for Best UAE Player for the fourth straight campaign after scoring 370 runs.

Brief Scores: Desert Vipers 182/4 (Sam Curran 74 not out, Max Holden 41, Dan Lawrence 23, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2 for 33) beat MI Emirates 136 all out in 18.3 overs (Shakib Al Hasan 36, Kieron Pollard 28, Muhammad Waseem 26, Naseem Shah 3 for 18, David Payne 3 for 42, Usman Tariq 2 for 20, Khuzaima Tanveer 2 for 22) by 46 runs.