ILT20: Desert Vipers Edge Out MI Emirates By One Run In Last-Ball Drama To Continue Unbeaten Run

The Desert Vipers emerged victorious once again the ILT20 with yet another thrilling clash, beating MI Emirates by one run at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The win, which went down to the last ball, was the Vipers’ fourth-straight triumph of the DP World ILT20 Season 4.

The one-wicket meant Vipers consolidated their position as the table-toppers with eight points to their name in the ILT20 2025 points table.

Defending 159, the Vipers initially struggled to take wickets. The game turned in the 19th over, when David Payne — who finished with 4 for 29 — claimed three crucial scalps. UAE’s Khuzaima Tanveer was also impressive with 2 for 34, as the Vipers showed their composure once again.

In the second innings, MI Emirates lost an early wicket when Tanveer dismissed Jonny Bairstow (8 off 7) in the second over. It was Muhammad Waseem (24 0ff 21) and Tom Banton (34 off 29) who steered the MI Emirates through the powerplay with the score at 49/1.

They erected a 42-run stand in 31 balls before Tanveer struck again in his second spell of the night to remove Waseem. Banton looked in complete control when Nicholas Pooran (31 off 29) joined him in the middle. The duo looked settled, completing another 42-run partnership, this time in 40 balls. However, Sam Curran sent Pooran back in the 14th over with 62 needed off 36 balls.

Banton followed in the next over as Payne bagged his first wicket of the night, bringing the score to 105/4. Tajinder Singh (17 off 7) hit Sam Curran for a couple of sixes that brought MI Emirates ahead of the equation with a 20-run over. Lockie Ferguson then ended Tajinder’s stay at the crease with his first wicket of the match in the 18th over.

Another twist in the penultimate over saw Payne turn the match on its head. First, he got Romario Shepherd (1 off 4), followed by the wicket of skipper Kieron Pollard (23 off 13), who looked in good nick. Chris Woakes (0 off 2) followed in the final ball, meaning that MI Emirates needed 16 runs in six balls to secure the victory.

Rashid Khan (13* off 8) could have been the match-winner, hitting a six and a four in the final over, but the MI Emirates couldn’t find the two runs needed on the last ball.

Batting first, the Vipers started on a promising note, led by Fakhar Zaman (35 off 31). By the end of the powerplay, the Vipers were 51/0, threatening to make their way to a big score.

After Andries Gous (21 off 15) retired-hurt, Zaman combined with Max Holden (42 off 37) for a 51-run stand in 37 balls. Allah Ghazanfar then got the breakthrough when Zaman holed out to Tom Banton. Following his wicket, the bowlers kept the pressure on the Vipers, ensuring that boundaries were scarce.

Shimron Hetmyer (15 off 9) entered the fray after Holden retired-out and hit the first six of the innings in the 18th over. Soon after, Sam Curran (19 off 19) hit the ball straight into Tom Banton’s hands to give Ghazanfar his second wicket of the night.

Dan Lawrence (15* off 8) also provided a key contribution towards the end while Hetmyer was scalped by Fazalhaq Farooqi in the final over of the innings as the Vipers finished at 159/4.

What Happened In The 16th Over?

Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates took an interesting turn in the ILT20 match on December 9, 2025 when Nicholas Pooran deliberately chose to not stump Vipers' Max Holden, a move that left many stumped.

It happened in the 16th over of the Vipers' run chase when Rashid Khan saw Holden come down the crease and bowl wide. Pooran collected the ball but instead of cleaning out the stumps, the West Indian chose not to and in turn gave Holden the golden chance.

However, the twist came immediately in the next over as Holden was retired out by the Vipers' tactical call. The batter was back to the pavilion as they called on their hitters to ultimately post 159 and clinching a narrow one-run win