Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

P Nissanka
81(42) 6x4 - 4x6
Control %69%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 15 runs
  • 1x4 - 1x6
8 6 12 8 11 2 3 31
KA Pollard
KA Pollard
50(33) 0x4 - 4x6
Control %57%
  • Productive Shot
  • on drive
  • 13 runs
  • 0x4 - 2x6
3 4 1 1 4 7 16 14

Best performances - Bowlers

Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah Omarzai
O4
M0
R32
W2
Eco8
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
N Thushara
O4
M0
R41
W2
Eco10.25
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

Match Details

Toss

Gulf Giants , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Season

Hours of play (local time)

18.30 start, First Session 18.30-20.00, Interval 20.00-20.20, Second Session 20.20-21.50

Match days

4 December 2025 - night match (20-over match)

Twenty20 debut

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Points

Gulf Giants 2, MI Emirates 0

Scorer: Binoy George | Commentator: Abhimanyu Bose

10.10pm That's all from Game 3. Tomorrow it's Desert Vipers against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Join in for that, and of course all the Test cricket action in between in New Zealand and Australia! For now, om behalf of Binoy, it's Abhimanyu signing off.

10.02pm Right then, time for the presentation ceremony.

MOTM, Nissanka: "[The 100 against India in Asia Cup] gave me confidence. I played really well in Asia Cup and wanted to continue there. Wanted to play my natural game. Yes, bowlers did really well and Omarzai batted really well."

Moeen Ali: "It's a great performance. The toss was huge. We bowled very well in the first 10 overs. They have three players who can take it away and we held them back nicely and then Nissanka and Omarzai were incredible. We knew they were rebuilding after three down in the powerplay and it was almost trying to get them to take risks but they played very smartly. I thought we bowled very well to them. Executed very well. Nissanka is a brilliant player. For a few years he is one of the best in the world. he is very calm, doesn't say much but packs a punch. Omarzai has played unbelievably well and he is an allrounder and that's what allrounders do. He gave us the momentum to finish the game by taking on Rashid Khan. [Does Vince need to earn his place back?] Too many meetings for me so he comes back in. he is one of the best captains in England and the world. He will be a great addition."

Kieron Pollard: "[The early wickets] Yeah you can [put the defeat to that]. Losing three in the powerplay, and having to rebuild, we were short. ball was moving around quite a bit in the first 10 overs. [The pitch] I am not one to complain about the pitch because we have to adapt to what's presented to us but just losing those couple of wickets set us back. And we couldn't finish it off as well as we wanted. We are professionals and we don't want to blame it on the pitch and take the easy way out. We just need to be better in terms of execution. Losing the game with five overs to spare, we should have done better. We were quite short. Some new guys as well and a couple who were playing T10, but we'll turn up for the next game."

9.55pm Well, that was a rapid chase from Giants! A sensational partnership between Nissanka and Omarzai, that included an epic takedown of Rashid Khan by the latter, has helped Giants register a stunning win in their opening game of the season. MI Emirates never looked like they were ahead in the game, despite Pollard's second-half assault on the bowlers. Omarzai bowled a brilliant final over and carried that momentum into his batting innings to stay unbeaten on 39 off 16, carrying on from where Moeen Ali left off after he was run out when he just started to accelerate. Nissanka made 81 off 42 balls before getting out with Giants only seven runs away. Moeen said it's important they played well today, even if they didn't win. Well, they have done both today!

14.5
5w
Ghazanfar to Moores, 5 wides, That is too wide, and even Pooran can't get his glove down in time and that's raced away for five wides and the Gulf Giants win with more than five overs to spare!
14.4
1
Ghazanfar to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 run, On a length on off, Omarzai goes back and punches it out to the off side sweeper
14.3
1
Ghazanfar to Moores, 1 run, On a length outside off, cut behind point for a single

Manoj: "In this wicket only MI were struggling to bat? " -- Apparently so! Tom Moores, the impact sub for Shamsi is out next

14.2
W
Ghazanfar to Nissanka, OUT, Ghazanfar takes a great return catch, running back to mid-on, for a consolation wicket. Nissanka looked to take on this carrom ball outside off and skies it. Tough catch running back and he does very well there. Nissanka walks off to some applause after playing a splendid knock

P Nissanka c & b Ghazanfar 81 (42b 6x4 4x6) SR: 192.85

14.1
0
Ghazanfar to Nissanka, no run, Very full on middle, drilled back to the bowler

Giants need 7 off the last six overs

END OF OVER:
14 | 19 Runs | GG: 157/3 (7 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 11.21, RRR: 1.16)

  • Azmatullah Omarzai38 (15b)
  • Pathum Nissanka81 (40b)
  • Chris Woakes4-0-49-2
  • Fazalhaq Farooqi3-1-32-0
13.6
0
Woakes to Azmatullah Omarzai, no run, Wow, a dot ball! Back of length slower ball and Omarzai can't connect on the attempted ramp

ILT20 News

Giants 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st8Rahmanullah GurbazP Nissanka
2nd8MG ErasmusP Nissanka
3rd47MM AliP Nissanka
4th94Azmatullah OmarzaiP Nissanka
5th7TJ MooresAzmatullah Omarzai

International League T20

TeamMWLPTNRR
DV1082160.438
MIE1073140.676
DC1055100.578
ADKR10468-0.559
GG10376-0.31
SW10376-0.815