Dubai Capitals have progressed one step further from where they were last time in the ILT20 as the Sam Billings-led side defeated the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in one-way traffic in the Eliminator of the tournament. Led by an all-round performance from Zimbabwe International Sikandar Raza, the Capitals proved too hot to handle for the Knight Riders at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi as they won by 85 runs. The win takes them into the Qualifier 2, waiting for a competitor to challenge them.
On a balanced track of the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, the Capitals got too many on the board as Raza's late fireworks powered them to 188. The Knight Riders were never in the chase and they kept falling like a pack of cards to get bowled out for 103. While Raza took two wickets, Scott Kuggeleijn was the star with the ball as he scalped four wickets for 17 runs in his 3.5 overs.
The Capitals lost opener Max Holden early on for 15 but Tom Banton carried the team for the first half of the innings. His sedate 44-run knock from 31 balls laid a foundation and he found an able partner in Tom Abell to notch a 63-run stand for the 3rd wicket. The two fell with the team at 117 in 14.2 overs but then came a show from Billings and Raza. Both of them partnered for 59 runs with Billings getting 46 from 26, while Raza scored 40 from 19. That proved to be the difference.
In the chase, Kuggeleijn got Jason Roy out LBW in the first over before Olly Stone removed Michael-Kyle Pepper with the Knight Riders at 6. Kuggeleijn struck back when he got Joe Clarke and Alishan Sharafu in the same 5th over. The game was already way too far from Knight Riders but then the spinners made a mockery of the opposition. Zahir Khan and Raza took two wickets each to wrap the Knight Riders for 103.
