Dubai, Jan 22 (IANS): Placed towards the bottom of the points table, the Dubai Capitals and Gulf Giants are set to face off in Match 16 of the International League (IL) T20 at the iconic Dubai International Stadium here on Thursday. Dubai Capitals are placed fourth among six teams in the points table with four points from five matches while Gulf Giants are placed at the bottom of the standings with two points from four games. Both teams will be eager to secure a crucial win as they aim to improve their standings in the tournament.
Dubai Capitals have had a mixed season, with two wins and three losses in their five games. They come into this match on the back of a morale-boosting victory over the Desert Vipers. The Vipers were bowled out for a modest 139 runs, and the Capitals chased the target comfortably, thanks to a match-winning knock from Gulbadin Naib. His unbeaten 78 off 51 balls showed his ability to lead from the front in critical moments thus earning the man of the match award.
The Gulf Giants, with just one win in three matches, also have had an underwhelming campaign so far, and they’ll be desperate to turn things around. In their last outing, the Giants struggled against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who set a challenging target of 176. The Giants failed to chase the target, managing only 139 runs, falling short by 37 runs.
The third season of the ILT20 will run from January 11 to February 9, 2025. All 34 matches will be played across three venues - Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
Currently, Desert Vipers are leading the standings with eight points from four wins in five matches. MI Emirates are second with six points while Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are third with four points, ahead of Dubai Capitals and Sharjah Warriorz on net run rate.
Cricket fans can watch Season 3 of ILT20 on ZEE’s most widely distributed and viewed 15 linear TV channels: &Pictures SD, &Pictures HD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema 2, Zee Action, Zee Biskope, Zee Zest SD, Zee Cinemalu HD, Zee Telugu HD, Zee Thirai, Zee Tamil HD, Zee Kannada HD, Zee Zest HD, &Flix SD and &Flix HD.