ILT20: Shakib Al Hasan shines as MI Emirates down table-toppers Desert Vipers by four wickets

Dubai [UAE], December 22 (ANI): MI Emirates registered a composed four-wicket victory over the table toppers Desert Vipers to seal their third straight win in the ILT20 Season 4 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
After a disciplined bowling performance in the first innings, MI Emirates overcame early pressure and were guided to victory by Kieron Pollard and Shakib Al Hasan, according to a release.
The Desert Vipers managed to score 124 courtesy of Dan Lawrence's gritty 35 off 34 balls, but MI Emirates navigated a tricky chase with relative ease. With the ball, spinner Shakib Al Hasan's two wickets for 14 runs led the charge and kept the Vipers in check, before Zahoor Khan's death bowling ensured the total remained below par.
In reply, MI Emirates stumbled in the powerplay and lost momentum in the middle overs, but Pollard's 26 off 15 balls flipped the contest decisively. Even after his dismissal, Shakib held firm to see the chase through, striking the winning boundary to complete a controlled four-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.
MI Emirates endured a slow power play, as the Vipers applied sustained pressure. David Payne set the tone early, removing Jonny Bairstow (5 off 5), while Lockie Ferguson struck to dismiss Muhammad Waseem (18 off 13). They finished the power play with 35/2 on the board.
The batting side lost momentum through the middle overs as the Vipers bowlers tightened the screws. Nicholas Pooran (17 off 17) mounted a brief counterattack with two sixes, but was trapped LBW by Dan Lawrence. Wickets fell at regular intervals, including Tom Banton (10 off 10) being bowled by a sharp Qais Ahmad delivery.
Then, skipper Kieron Pollard swung the momentum decisively, taking Qais apart with a pair of sixes in the 15th over that swung the chase in MI Emirates' favour. He was eventually dismissed by Matiullah Khan, but Shakib Al Hasan (17* off 25) held his nerve, anchoring the finish before striking the winning boundary off Matiullah to close the chase at 124/6 in 17.3 overs.
In the first innings, the Vipers made a subdued start in the powerplay, as Chris Woakes was excellent up front, conceding just 15 runs from his three overs. Allah Ghazanfar struck the key blow by removing Max Holden (20 off 18). Fakhar Zaman (13 off 13) tried to build momentum, but the lack of boundaries and regular dots ensured the Vipers were restricted to 35/1 after six overs.
MI Emirates tightened their grip through the middle overs as Shakib Al Hasan struck twice in a miserly spell to remove Zaman and Sam Curran (4 off 4), conceding just eight runs in two overs. Arab Gul added to the pressure by dismissing Hasan Nawaz (13 off 19), leaving the Vipers reeling after losing three wickets in as many overs and the score at 54/4 at the halfway mark of their innings.
Lawrence and Jason Roy (14 off 18) showed intent in patches, adding a cautious stand of 42 runs in 40 balls, but boundaries were scarce. Shakib capped an outstanding spell, leaving the Vipers with little impetus. Zahoor Khan delivered a decisive final over, finishing with two for 17, as regular wickets in the death overs ensured the Vipers were kept in check, leaving MI Emirates a manageable target of 125 to seal the chase.
Player of the match Shakib Al Hasan said, "It was a surface that suited the spinners, and the focus was on hitting the right areas consistently. I was able to do that today, which was pleasing. I'm glad it helped the team. Batting wasn't easy on this pitch either. With so many powerful hitters in our lineup, someone needed to play the anchoring role, and I was happy to take on that responsibility to make sure we finished the chase."
Desert Vipers stand-in skipper Sam Curran said, "It was another low-scoring game on a tricky surface. The pitch was slow, and facing a side like MI Emirates, who have high-quality spinners with a lot of variation, made it even tougher. Despite that, I thought our bowlers put in a strong effort. With qualification already secured, we chose to rotate the squad, and what happened to Lockie reinforces the importance of managing workloads."
Brief Scores
MI Emirates beat Desert Vipers by four wickets.
Desert Vipers 124/7 in 20 overs (Dan Lawrence 35 not out, Max Holden 20, Shakib Al Hasan 2 for 14, Zahoor Khan 2 for 17)
MI Emirates 128/6 in 17.3 overs (Kieron Pollard 26, Sanjay Krishnamurthi 21, Matiullah Khan 2 for 18, Dan Lawrence 1 for 13)
Player of the match: Shakib Al Hasan. (ANI)