ILT20: Pooran, Waseem put MI Emirates in playoffs after an emphatic eight-wicket win over Gulf Giants

Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 24 (ANI): MI Emirates sealed their playoff berth after a comfortable eight-wicket win over the Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. An impressive bowling performance, coupled with Nicholas Pooran and Muhammad Waseem's unbeaten 140-run stand in just 89 balls, sealed their fourth straight win with 21 balls to spare.
Chasing 142, MI Emirates were 58/2 in 10 overs, before Pooran and Waseem smashed 84 runs in the next 6.3 overs. Waseem carried the bat with 59 runs in 42 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes, while Pooran scored an unbeaten 69 in just 49 balls, smashing six sixes and three fours. For the Giants, Moeen Ali's 51 runs in 48 balls went in vain, as per a release.
In the second innings, Mark Adair set the tone when he trapped Jonny Bairstow LBW (0 off 3), before Azmatullah Omarzai removed Tom Banton (0 off 5), reducing MI Emirates to 2/2 within the first two overs.
Pooran and Waseem rotated the strike effectively, finding the odd boundary. Pooran began accelerating post the 10th over and brought up his half-century in 43 balls with a boundary in the 14th over.
After completing a 100-run partnership with Pooran in just 74 balls, Waseem then bagged his own half-century in just 38 balls, his first of the season.
At the 15th-over mark, MI Emirates needed 27 runs off 30 balls. The duo closed out the win with ease, with Pooran hitting back-to-back sixes in the 16th over to bring scores level before Waseem calmly saw the chase home.
Earlier, Romario Shepherd made early inroads by removing James Vince (3 off 4) in the second over, before Rahmanullah Gurbaz (11 off 10) was bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi an over later. Shepherd struck again in the fourth to dismiss Asif Khan (12 off 8), as MI Emirates kept the Giants to 36/3 at the end of the powerplay.
MI Emirates continued to squeeze the Giants, with Arab Gul trapping Lorcan Tucker (13 off 13) LBW in the ninth over. Moeen Ali and Omarzai (14 off 19) struggled to lift the tempo as tidy spells from Gul, Shakib Al Hasan, and Kieron Pollard ensured the Giants scored just 18 runs between overs seven and 10.
Ali and Omarzai added momentum with a partnership of 40 runs in 34 balls, which was broken in the 15th over when Farooqi got Omarzai.
Ali and Mayers then put up a 52-run stand off 35 balls. The acceleration came with 15 runs in the 16th over, followed by another 15 in the 18th. Ali brought up his half-century in the 19th over, and with Mayers' unbeaten cameo of 28 runs in 18 balls, including four fours and a six, pushed the Giants to 141/6.
Player of the match Muhammad Waseem said, "We spoke in the middle about the movement early on. The focus was simply to survive the first three or four overs and build a partnership. Once we got through that phase, we were able to settle into our natural game and wait for the loose deliveries."
Gulf Giants skipper James Vince said, "We were short of runs again. Batting first, we're struggling to assess the right tempo and what a competitive total looks like. Losing early wickets really knocked the momentum out of our innings. That said, I thought we finished better than we have in recent games, but the damage was done upfront."
Brief Scores
MI Emirates beat the Gulf Giants by eight wickets.
Gulf Giants 141/6 in 20 overs (Moeen Ali 51, Kyle Mayers 28 not out, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2 for 17, Romario Shepherd 2 for 36)
MI Emirates 142/2 in 16.3 overs (Muhammad Waseem 59 not out, Nicholas Pooran 69 not out, Azmatullah Omarzai 1 for 20, Mark Adair 1 for 30)
Player of the match: Muhammad Waseem. (ANI)