ILT20 2025-26, Final Review: Sam Curran’s brilliance sees Desert Vipers lift 1st title

The Desert Vipers won their first International League T20 (ILT20) title on Sunday, January 4, defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs in front of a sell-out crowd at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Desert Vipers won USD 700,000 in addition to the Black Belt, while MI Emirates received USD 300,000.

Sam Curran scored an undefeated 74 from 51 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, to propel his team to an unbeatable 182/4. Max Holden (41 off 32) and Dan Lawrence’s (23 off 15) late push provided him with ample support. Naseem Shah (3/18), Usman Tariq (2/20), and Khuzaima Tanveer (2/22) dominated the bowling attack until David Payne’s three-wicket haul (3/42) kept MI Emirates at 136.

Fans at the Dubai International Stadium were treated to a magnificent build-up to the final, including a stunning fireworks performance and a drone show that illuminated the night sky. The pre-match extravaganza generated a carnival-like atmosphere as thousands of fans took in the visual spectacle that saluted the league and set the setting for the season’s biggest matchup.

The Vipers captain rounded off an outstanding campaign by winning both the Red Belt (Most Valuable Player) and the Green Belt (Best Batter). The England all-rounder scored 397 runs, including three half-centuries, and took seven wickets and ten catches to complete out a successful season.

In the second innings, the Vipers’ Naseem Shah set the tone early, removing Andre Fletcher (10 off 11) and Tom Banton (7 off 6), while Khuzaima Tanveer capitalised with the key wicket of Muhammad Waseem (26 off 13). MI Emirates lost three wickets inside six overs and crawled to 46/3, leaving Shakib Al Hasan and Sanjay Krishnamurthi with plenty of work to do.

Usman Tariq turned up the heat by dismissing Sanjay Krishnamurthi (2 off 9) in the eighth over. Shakib Al Hasan (36 off 27) attempted to steady the innings with calculated strikes, but boundaries were hard to come by. With Kieron Pollard struggling to break free, MI Emirates reached 72/4 after 10 overs, falling further behind in the chase.

MI Emirates’ hopes rested on Shakib Al Hasan and Kieron Pollard (28 off 27), who completed their 50-run stand in 38 balls before Tariq delivered a decisive blow by removing Shakib, pushing the equation to a daunting 61 off the final four overs.

After Naseem Shah removed Kieron Pollard to end any late resistance, David Payne ripped through the lower order, bagging three wickets in the 18th over. Khuzaima Tanveer sealed the title by clattering Muhammad Rohid’s stumps (3 off 4) as the Vipers closed out the match with nine balls to spare.

Earlier, the Vipers began briskly in the powerplay as Fakhar Zaman (20 off 15) and Jason Roy (11 off 7) put on 34/0 in the first three overs. Momentum shifted in the fourth over when Fazalhaq Farooqi struck twice to dismiss both openers. Sam Curran responded emphatically, smashing three consecutive boundaries in the final over of the powerplay to carry the Vipers to 59/2.

Curran then joined hands with Max Holden, rotating the strike efficiently and attacking smartly to take the Vipers to 83/2 at the halfway stage. The duo completed their 50-run stand in the 11th over, off just 39 balls. Curran kept the offensive going while Holden played the anchor role before Arab Gul ended their 89-run partnership off 64 balls with Holden’s wicket in the 15th over.

The Vipers’ skipper continued piling on the pressure, bringing up his half-century off 39 balls in the 17th over. His fourth-wicket partnership with Dan Lawrence (23 off 15) provided the impetus in the death overs, as they added 57 runs in just 33 balls to carry the team to 182/4.

The White Belt (Best Bowler) was claimed by Dubai Capitals’ Waqar Salamkheil, who led the bowling charts with 18 wickets. Meanwhile, MI Emirates’ Muhammad Waseem picked up the Blue Belt for Best UAE Player for the fourth straight campaign after scoring 370 runs across Season 4. The winners of the DP World ILT20 signature belts were awarded USD 15,000 each.

Player of the Match and Desert Vipers skipper Sam Curran said

“I was nervous coming into the final. The players, management and owners have been outstanding, and it’s going to be a big celebration tonight. Nerves are natural, and I think they help. You never quite know how the pitch will play, and losing Gous to injury in the warm-up tested us, but it showed the strength of our group and our setup. MI are a quality side, but over the course of the season we’ve been the most consistent team, and I think we deserved the trophy.”

MI Emirates skipper Kieron Pollard said

“To be honest, it went wrong in the field. The start wasn’t sharp enough. In a final, those moments matter. Take away 15–20 runs and suddenly 160 becomes very chaseable. This is when you need players to step up, and we didn’t. The Vipers deserved to win. I still felt 180 was chaseable, but losing early wickets stalled us. Sam batted well, and overall, from where we started to where we finished, it’s been a fantastic tournament for us.”

ILT20 Season 4 belt winners