Desert Vipers won their first International League T20 title on January 4, 2026, beating MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Sam Curran’s unbeaten 74 off 51 balls set up the victory before the bowlers dismissed Emirates for 136 in 18.3 overs.
The win came in Season 4 of the ILT20, with Vipers finishing their campaign with 8 wins from 10 matches. Curran collected four awards during the post-match ceremony, including Player of the Match, Player of the Series, Most Valuable Player, and Best Batter.
Sam Curran’s Match-Winning Knock
Curran walked in with Desert Vipers at 36 for 2 in the fourth over after Fazalhaq Farooqi removed both Fakhar Zaman (20 off 15) and Jason Roy (11 off 7). The England all-rounder steadied the innings through two partnerships.
He added 89 runs with Max Holden for the third wicket. Holden made 41 off 32 balls with 2 fours and 1 six. Curran then partnered with Dan Lawrence for 57 runs. Lawrence scored 23 off 15 balls before getting run out off the last ball.
Curran’s 74 came off 51 deliveries with 8 fours and 2 sixes. He reached his half-century in 39 balls. Desert Vipers posted 182 for 4 in their 20 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi took 2 for 33 in 4 overs.
Bowling Attack Crushes Emirates Chase
MI Emirates needed 183 to win, but never built momentum. Muhammad Waseem tried early aggression with 26 off 13 balls, but wickets fell at regular intervals.
Naseem Shah struck three times in his 4 overs, removing Andre Fletcher, Tom Banton, and Kieron Pollard. His figures read 3 for 18 with an economy of 4.5. Shakib Al Hasan top-scored with 36 off 27 balls but found no support.
David Payne delivered the knockout blow in the 18th over, taking three wickets, including Romario Shepherd and Tajinder Singh. His final figures were 3 for 42 in 4 overs. Usman Tariq took 2 for 20, while Khuzaima Tanveer claimed the final wicket, bowling Muhammad Rohid for 3.
MI Emirates collapsed to 136 all out in 18.3 overs, falling 46 runs short.
READ MORE: South Africa Announce T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Full Players List
Tournament Awards and Prize Money
Sam Curran dominated the individual awards, finishing with 397 runs and 7 wickets across the tournament. He won the Red Belt for Most Valuable Player and the Green Belt for Best Batter.
Waqar Salamkheil took the White Belt for Best Bowler with 18 wickets. Muhammad Waseem won the Blue Belt for Best UAE Player for the fourth consecutive time. Each belt carried USD 15,000.
Pathum Nissanka won Dispatch of the Season. Allah Ghazanfar took the Catch of the Season.
Desert Vipers received USD 700,000 as champions. MI Emirates took home USD 300,000 as runners-up.
Final Standings
Desert Vipers topped the table with 16 points from 10 matches. They won 8 and lost 2 with a net run rate of 0.438.
MI Emirates finished second with 14 points from 7 wins and 3 losses. Their net run rate of 0.676 was higher than Vipers.
Dubai Capitals came third with 10 points. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders finished fourth with 8 points. Gulf Giants and Sharjah Warriors both ended with 6 points.
The ILT20‘s fourth season concluded with Desert Vipers lifting the trophy for the first time.
Follow Jeetwin Blog for timely cricket updates, match insights, and expert commentary.
The post Desert Vipers Clinch ILT20 2026 Title With Commanding 46-Run Win Over MI Emirates appeared first on JeetWin Blog.
