Dubai Capitals clinched their maiden ILT20 title with a four-wicket victory over the Desert Vipers at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The Capitals secured the championship prize of USD 700,000, while the Vipers settled for USD 300,000 after falling short in the final over of a tense chase.
Despite the defeat, stand-in Vipers captain Sam Curran expressed pride in his team’s performance, acknowledging the closely contested nature of the final.
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“Obviously gutted in feeling for the team. But what a fantastic game. What an amazing crowd. Amazing spectacle for the tournament, I guess. Yeah, like you said, a lot of small margins could have gone either way and I think that’s been those close games. That’s what T20 cricket‘s all about. Very close. Comes down to the last couple of balls and yeah, I think the two best teams played in the final tonight and there’s always got to be a loser. So unfortunately, it was us,” Curran said.
Dubai Capitals successfully chased down a target of 189, with Sikandar Raza delivering the decisive blows in the final overs with a blistering 12-ball 34*. Earlier, Rovman Powell’s 63 and Shai Hope’s composed 43 had set the foundation for the Capitals’ victory.
Curran, who played a crucial role for the Vipers with an unbeaten 62 featuring five fours and three sixes, believed his team had put up a competitive total.
“I think it was a really good pitch and we, I thought, put a really good score on the board. Like I said, it was such small margins. A couple of dropped catches, the stumping was obviously inches and stuff like that. When it’s not going your way, you obviously can look back on it. But I think the team must be really proud. We’ve had a lot of consistency, a lot of guys moving to international duty and stuff like that. So, yeah, I guess it’s cricket. That’s why we love it. And we’ll wake up tomorrow and look back and reflect and come back stronger.”
Max Holden’s resilient 76 earlier in the innings had provided a strong base for the Vipers after early wickets had put them on the back foot. Reflecting on his own innings, Curran emphasised the team effort.
“I felt like we had a really good score, especially after losing the toss. I felt really good. I thought the way Max Holden batted for the last few games was very, very impressive. He came out really positive and I think the batting group batted really well all season. So, yeah, I guess emotions right now are a little bit flat. But I guess that’s why we love the game. We wake up tomorrow and we go again.”
The match turned on several key moments, with Curran highlighting the fine margins that defined the outcome.
“There were a couple of moments. It’s a huge moment in the game. Of course, he’s a quality player and when you give quality players another chance, it was extremely unlucky. I think it’s literally inches. So, yeah, obviously you can say it’s a moment but there’s loads of different things, but well done to him. He played well.”
Despite the setback, Curran had nothing but praise for his team’s journey in ILT20 Season 3.
“The Desert Vipers have been a fantastic franchise. Felt incredibly loved, consistent and yeah, you see that we had a very tight-knit group who spent a lot of time together. We flew out the group stage. We won probably seven out of eight games as well. A couple of losses and then we came to the finals. So it’s been an amazing season and I think it’s great for the tournament. A final like that coming down to the last over – that’s T20 cricket.”
