Rain played spoilsport in the 16th match of the ILT20 match between Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday night. The match was called off after officials waited till 8.30 pm (UAE time) to determine whether the pitch would be playable after the heavy downpour.
Both teams shared one point each. Gulf Giants, who were in second place with eight points from five matches, moved to the top slot with a single point from their sixth match replacing Desert Vipers who were at the top with eight points from five matches. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who had lost all their previous five matches, earned their first point today but they remain at the bottom of the table.
Gulf Giants had come into this match after losing to Sharjah Warriors in their last match. Sharjah’s medium pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, through a five-wicket spell, had bowled out Gulf Giants for 130 while chasing a target of 152. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, in their last match against MI Emirates, looked like recording their first win, but Andre Russell, who bowled the last over, failed to defend the 20 runs needed to win the match.
Speaking about the match being abandoned, Gulf Giants’ Andy Flower head coach said, “It’s really unfortunate. We were really looking forward to this game. We wanted to get out there and play. We also wanted the two points. But these things are out of our control and we have to accept the situation. We will now focus on the game ahead of us.”
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders captain Sunil Narine said, “It’s good to have a point. Hopefully, this could be the turning point for us. We have to take it step by step and see how the next game pans out for us.”
Schedule for 26 January 2023:
Sharjah Warriors vs Dubai Capitals – 6 pm GST (7:30 pm IST) – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
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