Dubai Capitals beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by 73 runs with Powell’s all-round play
Captain Rovman Powell’s all-round game and Robin Uthappa’s sensible innings helped Dubai Capitals make a brilliant start by defeating Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by a huge margin of 73 runs in the opening match of the International League (ITL) T20 tournament here on Friday. Man of the match Powell scored 48 runs in 29 balls with the help of three sixes and as many fours. Opening the innings, former India batsman Uthappa played a useful inning of 43 runs in 33 balls with two sixes and three fours.
In the last over, Ravi Bopara (11 not out in three balls) and Isuru Udana (12 not out in four balls) scored runs in the last over, after the team scored 187 runs for six wickets in 20 overs, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders were reduced to 114 runs for nine wickets. but stopped. Paul Stirling played an inning of 54 runs for Abu Dhabi but only two batsmen of the team could score runs in double figures. The Ireland player hit five fours and two sixes in his 38-ball innings.
Apart from Powell, Akif Raja and Mujeeb ur Rehman scored two each for the Dubai team, while Udana, Hazrat Luqman and Sikandar Raza scored one each. Ravi Rampaul took two wickets for 36 runs while Ali Khan took two wickets for 45 runs for the Abu Dhabi team. Chasing the target, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, were in a good position at 71 for two in the 10th over but the fall of wickets at frequent intervals thereafter left the team well short of the target.
During this, aggressive batsmen like Andre Russell (12) and Sunil Narine (four) could not do anything special. Earlier, on being invited to bat first, former England captain Joe Root (26) and Uthappa gave Dubai Capitals a smooth start on a difficult pitch. Root hit a four and two sixes against Akil Hussain in the fourth over. However, he was dismissed by Ali Khan in the last over of the power play. He shared a 35-run partnership with Uthappa for the first wicket.
Former India batsman Uthappa, who has been playing steady from the other end till now, opened his arm with a six in the same over. Uthappa sent the ball of captain Sunil (one wicket for 28 runs) to the visitors in the 12th over but was bowled on the last ball of the over. Powell hit two sixes and fours over Ali as soon as he came to the crease. He accelerated the run rate against Rampaul in the 17th over by hitting a four and a six but he was caught by Colin Ingram in the process of making another big shot.
He added 51 runs for the fourth wicket with Sikandar Raza (26) of Zimbabwe. Raza hit a four and a six against Russell in the 18th of the innings, which helped the team cross the 150-run mark. He returned to the pavilion by catching Russell on the next ball. Yusuf Pathan could only contribute six runs in a five-ball innings. Udana hit fours and sixes in consecutive balls against Ali in the last over, while Ravi Bopara also hit a six to take the team’s score to 187.
