The Dubai Capitals picked up a crucial six-wicket win over the Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, riding on a well-rounded team performance. The win lifted the Capitals to third place on the ILT20 team standings, while the Giants slipped to a fourth straight defeat.
The turning point came in the 14th over of the Giants’ innings, when Mustafizur Rahman swung the game decisively. Although James Vince (36 off 34) and Azmatullah Omarzai (43 off 26) had steadied the innings and threatened to push on, Mustafizur’s three wickets in the space of an over broke the backbone of the batting line-up. His spell helped restrict the Giants to 156, a total that always felt slightly under par.
In reply, Shayan Jahangir anchored the chase with a composed 48 off 44 balls, ensuring the Capitals never drifted too far off course. Rovman Powell got the job done in style, remaining unbeaten on 47 from 31 balls, with a four and three sixes sealing the result.
The Capitals’ chase began cautiously but positively, with Jahangir setting the early tone. A six and a couple of boundaries helped take them to 33 without loss after four overs. The fifth over, however, swung momentum briefly in the Giants’ favour as Omarzai struck twice, removing Sediqullah Atal and Jordan Cox in quick succession. At the end of the powerplay, the Capitals were 42 for 2, still needing 115 runs.
Despite defending a modest total, the Giants kept things tight through their spinners, forcing the batters to work hard for runs. Jahangir continued to hold the innings together, finding good support from Leus du Plooy, before Fred Klaassen bowled him just as their partnership was beginning to build. With Powell taking time to settle, the Capitals reached the halfway stage at 68 for 3, leaving the chase delicately poised.
Jahangir’s dismissal in the 15th over, just as he looked ready to accelerate, briefly stalled the momentum. Powell, though, ensured there was no panic, gradually opening up as the target came within reach. Mohammad Nabi then put the result beyond doubt in the final over, first levelling the scores with a boundary before striking a six to complete a convincing finish.
Earlier, the Giants had started brightly thanks to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who blasted 25 from just 11 balls to race the side to 39 without loss after three overs. The momentum slowed when Haider Ali removed Gurbaz in the fourth over and later accounted for Lorcan Tucker. Nabi also chipped in by dismissing Moeen Ali, leaving the Giants three down at the end of the powerplay.
Vince and Omarzai rebuilt with a vital partnership through the middle overs, adding 66 runs in 46 balls to carry the Giants past the halfway mark and keep the scoreboard moving. That stand, however, was undone when Mustafizur returned to devastating effect, removing both set batters along with Sean Dickson in a dramatic 14th over.
A late cameo from Kyle Mayers, supported briefly by Mark Adair, injected some urgency at the death, but the innings ended in chaos. The final over saw a remarkable collapse, with three run-outs as confusion between the wickets took over. From 152 for 7, the Giants lost their remaining wickets in quick succession and were bowled out for 156.
Dubai Capitals stand-in skipper Mohammad Nabi said, “It was a complete team effort. They got off to a strong start, but the turning point was Mustafizur’s over where we picked up three wickets and shifted the momentum. Haider was excellent in the powerplay and Fizz really changed the game. Rovman played superbly as well—he paced the chase smartly and made sure he capitalised on every ball.”
Gulf Giants skipper James Vince said, “It’s been a similar pattern to our last few games. We get ourselves into a position where we should be adding another 20 or 30 runs, but when one wicket falls, we tend to lose two or three in quick succession. That puts pressure on the batters who come in, as they have to lower the risk just to make sure we don’t collapse completely.”
Brief Scores
Dubai Capitals beat Gulf Giants by six wickets
Gulf Giants 156 all out in 19.5 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 43, James Vince 36, Mustafizur Rahman 3 for 34, Haider Ali 2 for 24)
Dubai Capitals 162/4 in 19.2 overs (Shayan Jahangir 48, Rovman Powell 47 not out, Mohammad Nabi 25 not out, Azmatullah Omarzai 2 for 27)
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