Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan starred as MI Emirates secured a seven-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knights in the second qualifier of the International T20 League, booking their place in the final against Desert Vipers on Sunday. Shakib’s commanding performance with both ball and bat earned him the man of the match award.
MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field first. Shakib was handed the ball in the opening over and immediately set the tone with tight left-arm spin, conceding just two runs. Across his four-over spell, he gave away only 20 runs, bowled 10 dot balls, and allowed a single six, effectively keeping the Knights under pressure. Allah Mohammad Gazanfar supported with three wickets for 24 runs, while Mohammad Rohit and Fazalhak Faruki claimed two wickets each. Together, the MI Emirates bowlers restricted Abu Dhabi to 120 for eight in their 20 overs.
In reply, MI Emirates faced early losses, with Andre Fletcher and Mohammad Wasim departing cheaply. However, Tom Banton anchored the innings with an unbeaten 62 off 53 balls. Shakib then unleashed a storm, scoring 38 runs from 24 balls, including five fours and a six, at a strike rate of 159, guiding his side to victory in 16.1 overs with 23 balls remaining.
Abu Dhabi’s top scorers included Alishan Sharafu with 50 and English opener Alex Hales with 29. Brendon McCullum contributed 13 runs, while no other batsman reached double figures. For Abu Dhabi, Ajay Kumar claimed two wickets and Sunil Narine took one.
