ILT20: Nissanka, Omarzai star as Gulf Giants clinch dominant six-wicket win over MI Emirates

Gulf Giants defeated MI Emirates by six wickets in their opening match of ILT20 Season 4 at Dubai International Stadium, powered by Pathum Nissanka's explosive 81 runs off 42 balls and Azmatullah Omarzai's all-round performance, ending their six-match losing streak at the venue.

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The Giants' bowling attack effectively contained MI Emirates to 163/6 in 20 overs, with Omarzai and Nuwan Thushara each claiming two wickets. MI Emirates lost three early wickets during the powerplay.

Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran stabilised the MI Emirates innings with a 78-run partnership, with Pollard scoring 50 off 33 balls and Pooran contributing 46 off 39 balls.




Romario Shepherd's quick 18 runs off 6 balls and Rashid Khan's 6 runs off 1 ball provided a late boost to MI Emirates' total.

The Giants' chase faced early challenges when Chris Woakes dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gerhard Erasmus cheaply. However, Nissanka and Moeen Ali steadied the innings with a partnership that took the team to 67 runs.

Nissanka reached his half-century in 30 balls, while Omarzai launched an aggressive attack against Rashid Khan, scoring 23 runs in a single over.

The Giants successfully reached their target in 14.4 overs, with Omarzai remaining unbeaten on 39 off 16 balls. MI Emirates' bowling struggled as four of their five bowlers conceded more than 10 runs per over.

"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. Nissanka is a brilliant player. He is one of the best in the world. He is very calm, doesn't say much, but packs a punch. Omarzai gave us the momentum to finish the game by taking on Rashid Khan," said stand-in captain Moeen Ali.

"Losing three wickets in the powerplay, and having to rebuild, we were short in the first innings. The ball was moving around quite a bit in the first 10 overs, and we couldn't finish it off as well as we wanted. We just need to be better in terms of execution," said MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard.

The Giants' early bowling success included Thushara dismissing Mohammed Waseem and Jonny Bairstow, while Omarzai removed Tom Banton in the third over.

Nicholas Pooran and Tajinder Singh attempted to rebuild with a 27-run partnership before Moeen Ali dismissed Tajinder, leaving MI Emirates at 58/4 in 10 overs.

Brief Scores

• MI Emirates 163/6 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 50, Nicholas Pooran 46, Romario Shepherd 18 not out, Nuwan Thushara 2 for 41, Azmatullah Omarzai 2 for 32)
• Gulf Giants 164/4 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 81, Azmatullah Omarzai 39 not out, Moeen Ali 26, Chris Woakes 2 for 49, AM Ghazanfar 1 for 18)

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