Desert Vipers beat MI Emirates, claim maiden ILT20 title: Stats
What's the story
Desert Vipers have won their first International League T20 (ILT20) title, defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs in Dubai. The victory was led by captain Sam Curran, who scored an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls. He was supported by Max Holden (41 off 32) and Dan Lawrence (23 off 15), as the Vipers posted a strong total of 182/4 in their allotted overs. MI Emirates struggled to chase down the target, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Match highlights
Vipers's innings and MI Emirates' response
Fakhar Zaman attacked Shakib Al Hasan early on, hitting him for a six. Despite MI Emirates's sloppy fielding, both Zaman and Jason Roy capitalized on the opportunity. However, Fazalhaq Farooqi turned the tables with a double-wicket opening over. Curran took five balls to get off the mark but ended the powerplay in style with three consecutive fours off Farooqi as Vipers reached 59/2 in six overs.
Innings buildup
Vipers build their innings around Curran's knock
As Holden took his time, Curran kept the scoreboard ticking. He hit off-spinner Tajinder Singh for two boundaries before guiding Kieron Pollard past short third. Holden found his groove too, hitting Tajinder over covers and long-on as Vipers raced past 100 in the 12th over. Mystery spinner Arab Gul broke the 89-run third-wicket stand by dismissing Holden but Lawrence ensured momentum wasn't lost with a quickfire cameo.
Match details
MI Emirates falter in their chase after Vipers score 182/4
In a chase of 183, MI Emirates failed to show much character. Shakib's 27-ball 36 was the best score. Skipper Pollard scored a labored 28-ball 28. Naseem Shah was on fire, taking three wickets for 18 runs in four overs. Usman Tariq also made a mark with his bowling, picking up two wickets for 20 runs. David Payne joined the party with three wickets for 42 runs, all coming in a single over.
Winning streak
4th different winner in ILT20 and Vipers' solid 2025-26 campaign
The Desert Vipers's win marks a new chapter in ILT20 history, with a different champion emerging in each of the first four seasons. This includes Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Dubai Capitals, and now the Desert Vipers. The consistency of the Vipers throughout the season has finally paid off as they lifted their maiden ILT20 title. They won 8 of the 10 matches in the league stage, topping the charts. Notably, they beat MI Emirates next in Qualifier 1 and now in the final.
Curran
Curran hammers his 31st fifty in T20s
Curran's unbeaten effort of 74 was laced with 8 fours and 2 sixes. He faced 51 balls. He raced to 5,279 runs from 315 matches (259 innings) at 25.62, as per ESPNcricinfo. Curran slammed his 31st fifty. He also owns a ton. His strike rate of 137.61 is impressive. In 27 ILT20 matches, Curran owns 809 runs at 50.56. He registered his sixth fifty. In the 2025-26 season, he finished with 397 runs at 49.62 with three fifties hammered.
Do you know?
Farooqi shines in his 150th T20
Afghanistan pacer Farooqi made his 150th appearance in the 20-over format. His 2/33 saw him get to 188 scalps at an average of 21.15. In 40 ILT20 games, he has picked 64 scalps at 18.21.
Duo
Key numbers of Shakib and Pollard
Veterans Shakib and Pollard were MI Emirates' top two scorers. Shakib's 36 saw him get to 7,805 runs from 470 games (429 innings) at 21.2. On the other hand, Pollard's 28 means he has now raced to 14,462 runs from 733 matches (650 innings) at 31.71. Pollard hit two fours is closing in on a mark of 900 (896).
Information
Naseem excels with a solid three-fer
In 142 20-over format matches, Pakistani pacer Naseem has got to 148 scalps at 28.25. He finished the season with 12 wickets for the Vipers from 8 matches at 17.91.
Twitter Post
Vipers!
The moment that'll be etched in Vipers history FOREVER 💚🐍#DVvMIE #DesertVipers #FangsOut pic.twitter.com/a0PdC1lcR1
— Desert Vipers (@TheDesertVipers) January 4, 2026