ILT20: Pathum Nissanka guides Gulf Giants to four-wicket win over Dubai Capitals

Pathum Nissanka’s explosive half-century powered the Gulf Giants to a four-wicket win over the Dubai Capitals in ILT20 Season 4. Nissanka’s blazing 67 off 31 balls, combined with James Vince’s unbeaten 50 off 45, produced a match-winning 97-run stand in 60 deliveries as the Giants chased down 161 to claim their second straight victory and move to the top of the table. Nissanka struck six fours and five sixes in his dominant knock.


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Earlier, Azmatullah Omarzai led the bowling effort with figures of 3/46, helping limit the Capitals to a competitive total. Several Dubai batters got starts, but skipper Dasun Shanaka’s late flourish — 23* off just nine deliveries — gave the innings a much-needed push in the final overs.




The Giants’ chase began with the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9), but momentum quickly shifted in their favour. Nissanka went after James Neesham in the fourth over, smashing three sixes and a four, helping Gulf Giants reach 60/1 at the end of the powerplay.


While Vince anchored the chase, Nissanka surged to a 23-ball fifty, hammering five fours and four sixes along the way.


The innings briefly wobbled as the Giants lost wickets in back-to-back overs. Mustafizur Rahman removed Nissanka in the 12th over for his second wicket, and Shanaka soon sent Moeen Ali back, reducing the Giants to 112/3.


Handy contributions from Omarzai (14 off 12) and Tom Moores (13 off 8) kept the chase on track, before Vince completed his half-century and saw the Giants home with seven balls to spare.


In the first innings, Omarzai struck early, removing Shayan Jahangir (12) in the second over. Opener Sediqullah Atal (35 off 25) and David Willey (29 off 28) then added a vital 61-run stand for the second wicket. Atal’s knock, which featured two fours and two sixes, ended in the 10th over with Moeen Ali striking to make it 75/2.


The innings slowed as Willey and Gulbadin Naib fell quickly, with Liam Dawson dismissing Willey and Aayan Afzal Khan removing Naib in the 14th over. Between the 10th and 14th overs, the Capitals managed just 18 runs.


Jordan Cox (31 off 17) and James Neesham (16* off 13) revived the innings with a brisk 41-run partnership. Cox looked threatening with two fours and two sixes before Omarzai returned to dismiss him and Rovman Powell (0) in the 18th over, finishing with three wickets and strengthening his claim for the White Belt for most wickets.


Shanaka capped the innings with two towering sixes in a 19-run final over, but his efforts ultimately fell short as Gulf Giants completed a confident victory.


Gulf Giants captain, Moeen Ali said: “The fact that we got the points, and we feel we can play better is a good thing. We squeezed them with the ball in the middle overs. Nissanka is a brilliant player and one of the top players in every format. Vince is also a quality player. He just did the job and played the situation well.”


Reflecting on the loss, captain of the Dubai Capitals, Dasun Shanaka said: “Nissanka’s in the form of his life. He's amazing because he is so small, and yet he hits the ball so far. He's going to give trouble to a lot of teams in this tournament. We could have shown a little more intent with the bat in that middle period. We didn't try to find the gaps; rather than waiting to hit the long ball, we needed to rotate the strike. Rovman Powell and I probably could have gone a bit earlier, and we might get this right in the next game."





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