On Wednesday night in Abu Dhabi, with a place in the ILT20 final at stake, Shakib Al Hasan endured a difficult all-round outing as MI Emirates were beaten by 45 runs by Desert Vipers in the first qualifier.
The Bangladesh all-rounder had little impact with either bat or ball in a high-scoring contest dominated by the Vipers’ openers, most notably Andries Gous, whose record-breaking century set the tone for the match.
Put in to bat after losing the toss, Desert Vipers piled up 233 for 1 from their 20 overs. Gous and Fakhar Zaman dismantled the Emirates attack in a brutal opening stand of 157, effectively settling the contest inside the first half of the innings. Fakhar fell for 69, but Gous carried on, finishing unbeaten on 120 from 58 balls, striking seven fours and nine sixes. It was the highest individual score in the history of the ILT20.
Shakib’s influence with the ball was minimal. Emirates captain Kieron Pollard turned to him for just one over, a decision that reflected both the match situation and the lack of control across the attack. Shakib conceded 10 runs and did not take a wicket. Among the bowlers, only Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar found some resistance, finishing with figures of 1 for 37 from four overs.
Chasing 234, MI Emirates needed a fast start but lost Andre Fletcher early for four. Mohammad Waseem and Tom Banton briefly raised hopes with an 81-run stand, Waseem making 41 from 32 balls and Banton striking 63 from 27, but the asking rate kept climbing.
Shakib, promoted to stabilise the innings, was unable to shift momentum. He fell cheaply, continuing a quiet night that mirrored his limited involvement earlier with the ball. From there, the chase drifted. Romario Shepherd offered late resistance with an unbeaten 37 from 23 balls, while Pollard added 15 from nine, but the target was always out of reach.
For Desert Vipers, the bowling effort was measured rather than spectacular. Usman Tariq led the way with three wickets, David Payne claimed two, and Naseem Shah and Khuzaima Tanveer took one apiece to close out a comfortable win.
