MI Emirates crush Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by 7 wickets to reach ILT20 final

Sharjah, Jan 3 (PTI) MI Emirates produced a robust all-round performance to crush Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by seven wickets and qualify for the final of the ILT20 tournament here.

MI Emirates will take on the Desert Vipers in the tournament’s summit clash on Sunday.

In a low-scoring game, MI Emirates responded with 122 for three after restricting the Knight Riders for a mere 120 for eight.

Alishan Sharafu scored a 40-ball 50 for the Knight Riders for a lone hand but MI Emirates kept chipping away with regular wickets.

Muhammad Rohid returned 4-0-19-2 in a measly spell in which he dismissed Brandon McCullen (13) and Liam Livingstone (4), but it was AM Ghazanfar who was the pick among the bowlers with 4-0-24-3, accounting for Alex Hales (29), Jason Holder (1) and Sunil Narine (4).

Fazalhaq Farooqi also chipped in with a couple of wickets to return 2/30 from his four overs as MI Emirates restricted the Knight Riders.

In reply, MI Emirates lost Muhammad Waseem (10) early in the second over and were down to 36/2 when Andre Fletcher (5) also fell for cheap.

But an 82-run stand for the third wicket between Tom Banton (64 not out) and Shakib Al Hasan put MI Emirates back on track of the chase, which they finished with seven overs and 23 balls to spare.

Banton played a fluent knock of 64 not out from 53 balls with seven fours and a six, whereas Shakib hit five fours and a six to make 38 off 24 balls in their third-wicket stand.

Ajay Kumar, who had dismissed Fletcher earlier, broke the partnership when he had Shakib caught by Sharafu but the Knight Riders, who deployed as many as seven bowling options, did not have enough on the board to challenge their opponents. PTI DDV ATK