Desert Vipers defeated Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to continue their winning momentum in the ILT20 2025-26. Shimron Hetmyer smashed 48 off 25 balls, and Khuzaima Tanveer scored a blazing 31 off 12 as the Vipers chased down the 175-run target with three balls and two wickets to spare.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders batting vs Desert Vipers
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders batted first, with opener Phil Salt attacking Naseem Shah with a four and a six in the very first over. Fellow England teammate Alex Hales also added quick runs, helping ADKR reach 39 without loss in five overs.
Qais Ahmed dropped Salt off Naseem in the fifth over but made up for it by dismissing him with his first ball in the next over, caught cleverly by Naseem himself. Hales continued to play aggressively, including a no-look six off Sam Curran, and reached his 50 with another maximum. Alishan Sharafu added 63 with Hales before falling to Noor Ahmad for 25. Noor then dismissed Hales in his next over.
Power hitters Sherfane Rutherford and Liam Livingstone fell cheaply as ADKR slipped to 125 for 5 in 15 overs. Andre Russell then played a quick 36 off 23 balls, including three fours and two sixes, taking advantage of Tanveer in an 18-run 18th over, finishing ADKR’s innings at 171 for 6.
Desert Vipers chase
In reply, Andries Gous got the Vipers off to a flying start with four boundaries in the first over but was soon dismissed by Sunil Narine. Fakhar Zaman and Max Holden also fell cheaply, leaving Vipers at 34 for 3. Sam Curran and Dan Lawrence rebuilt the innings with a steady 32-run partnership off 31 balls, before Curran fell to Piyush Chawla.
Shimron Hetmyer then took charge, punishing loose deliveries from the ADKR bowlers, including pulling Narine to the stands twice. But ADKR fought back, taking quick wickets of Lawrence and Hasan Nawaz. Russell then dismissed Hetmyer, leaving the Vipers at 143 for 7.
Just when the chase looked over, Khuzaima Tanveer played a brilliant knock of 31, including two fours and two sixes. He finished the match with a six and a four, steering the Vipers to a thrilling victory.
Brief Scores
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 171/6 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 53, Andre Russell 36*; Qais Ahmed 2-29, Noor Ahmad 2-35) lost to Desert Vipers 175/8 in 19.3 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 48, Khuzaima Tanveer 31*; Ajay Kumar 3-21, Sunil Narine 2-35) by 2 wickets