5:37pm Right. That will be a wrap from us for this game. But in the ILT20, the action comes thick and fast. In a few minutes, the Dubai Capitals will take on the Desert Vipers. Do hop over to our coverage of that game as well. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Ranjith. Goodbye, and take care!
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Player of the Match: After a few matches where I did not score, it is difficult to come back. I give all the credit to the coaches and the management. They supported me in tough times. Special mention to my coach who gave me the confidence to play my natural game. It is important for my team that I take good decisions behind the stumps as well. I try my level best to do better for my team. I am really enjoying my time here.
Joe Denly, Sharjah Warriors captain: I think we contained them well. We started well with the ball and through the middle, we never let them get away from us. A great start by the two (Gurbaz and Kohler-Cadmore) up top. They have gotten us to fliers in most games and they probably killed the game off there. But they have quality bowlers and we certainly made the run-chase interesting. The replacements have added some great strength and depth to the squad.
Sunil Narine, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders captain: Today we had a decent total on the board. The key factor was taking early wickets. That did not happen and that was the key area where we could have gone better. On this pitch, it was possible (to defend this score). If we had controlled the powerplay, it would have been a better game to manoeuvre in the middle.
Time for the post-match presentation!
5:23pm The Warriors seemed in control of the run-chase, especially during the powerplay. Gurbaz was sensational and set the tone at the top of the order. Once he was dismissed, though, they endured a massive hiccup - one that Nabi could only alleviate in the 16th over, hitting Kumara for two fours and a six. In between, a few of the Warriors' old deficiencies resurfaced, namely their inability to handle the middle overs. While that is a flaw they would want to iron out moving forward, they would be pleased with how they held their nerve when it mattered towards the end.
As for the Knight Riders, they would be happy with how close they ran the Warriors. Their batting innings, though, was where the game was lost. Had they put up more runs on the board, they could have put more pressure on the Warriors, especially with the pitch aiding spin-bowling. With just a few games remaining, the qualification thread, which was already quite thin before today, has gotten even thinner for the Knight Riders.
Right. Just two runs needed now. Can Nabi finish it off with one blow?
END OF OVER:17 | 4 Runs | SW: 148/6 (2 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.70, RRR: 0.66)
- Noor Ahmad4 (8b)
- Mohammad Nabi18 (11b)
- Dhananjaya de Silva3-0-25-1
- Lahiru Kumara4-0-36-3
de Silva back into the attack