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A fascinating season of the International League T20, also known as ILT20, came to its end when MI Emirates (MIE) upstaged Dubai Capitals (DC) by a margin of 45 runs in the final. The summit clash took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, February 17.
After being put to bat first, the MIE batters put up a show in Dubai. All their batters got the desired starts, with Andre Fletcher (53) and Nicholas Pooran (57) scoring half-centuries. Due to their onslaught, the Men in Blue and Gold piled up 208 in their 20 overs.
Dubai's run-chase never got going as none of their batters made more than 40 runs. With Trent Boult and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth bagging two wickets each, DC fell short by 45 runs.
The final wrapped up a great second edition of ILT20, which gained the List-A status before the commencement of the tournament.
The T20 league was filled with nerve-wracking moments and nail-biting clashes throughout the campaign. A few standout performances will undoubtedly linger in people's minds, as runs and wickets flowed freely all season long.
On that note, let's take a look at our best playing XI from the recently concluded ILT20, held between January 19 and February 17.
Openers: Kusal Perera and Muhammad Waseem
MI Emirates openers Kusal Perera and Muhammad Waseem solidify the top of this imaginary XI. The pair shared excellent camaraderie, fostering a partnership that significantly benefitted the franchise.
Their left-right combination posed a constant threat to opposition bowling during the powerplay, consistently delivering solid starts for MI Emirates.
Perera, who missed the first two games of the season, ended up as the third-highest run-getter with 337 runs at a strike rate of above 157.
Waseem, meanwhile, won the blue belt for becoming the U.A.E player of the season. He hammered 319 runs at a strike rate of 147.69.
Middle-order: James Vince, Sam Billings, Nicholas Pooran (c&wk)
A solid middle-order of this side consists of James Vince, Sam Billings, and Nicholas Pooran.
All three players captained their respective sides for a brief period. Vince, who led the Gulf Giants (GG) to a title in the inaugural edition, was among the runs this time around as well. He outscored everyone in the league, accumulating 356 runs at an average of 29.67, including the most fifties (4) in the competition.
Another Englishman on the team is Sam Billings, who moved from the Desert Vipers (DV) to the Dubai Capitals (DC) ahead of the ILT20 2024 season. The right-hander was superb throughout the campaign, as he provided assurance in the middle and even came up with a few moments of brilliance with his fielding.
Billings amassed 320 runs, the most by any player for DC, at an average of 32.00. He racked up three half-centuries as well.
Nicholas Pooran will captain and also be the designated wicketkeeper for this dream team. The flamboyant left-hander wreaked havoc in the finals as he smashed his 57* runs in only 27 balls.
Despite missing two games for the franchise, Pooran finished as the second-highest run-getter of the tournament, as he made 354 runs at an average of 50.57. His strike rate was hovering above 170 almost throughout the ILT20 season, as the southpaw smoked 31 sixes (the most) across his ten appearances.
All-rounders: Sikandar Raza, Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga
It's no surprise to see Sikandar Raza, Andre Russell, and Wanindu Hasaranga in this best XI. After all, they're widely considered some of the best all-rounders currently dominating T20 cricket.
All three of them contributed massively to their respective franchises and were quite entertaining, to say the least.
Raza was named the MVP of the ILT20 2024, earning him the prestigious red belt in recognition of his outstanding performance. He scored vital runs in the middle order for the Dubai franchise and even picked up wickets at crucial junctures. The Zimbabwean stalwart contributed with 313 runs and plucked away 13 wickets in as many games for DC.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise would be quite happy to see Andre Russell's havoc in the ILT20. The Caribbean all-rounder played eight of the ten games for his team, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR), and tonked 21 sixes for his 192 runs.
Russell's phenomenal strike rate of 228.57 was unsurprisingly the best in the tournament (among batters with at least 60 runs). He even took six wickets for ADKR, who lost the Eliminator against DC.
The first Desert Vipers player to feature in this team is Wanindu Hasaranga. While DV were the massive underperformers in the tournament, Hasaranga continued his surreal form for the Vipers.
The Sri Lankan star mostly batted in the top order for his franchise and made 133 runs at a strike rate of 147.78. It was his performance with the ball that elevated Hasaranga's season, as the leg-spinner accounted for 12 wickets at a superb economy rate of 6.09, the best among bowlers with at least ten wickets.
Bowlers: Mohammad Amir, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Waqar Salamkheil
Spearheading the bowling attack with strength and stability will be the potent left-arm trio of Mohammad Amir, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Waqar Salamkheil. All three enjoyed a stellar campaign, consistently troubling batters and finding the wickets whenever called upon by their captains.
There was a huge hype around the prospect of Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir bowling together in the same team. While Afridi was available only for a handful of games, Amir did his bit and lived up to his expectations. The Pakistani maestro played nine games and scalped 12 times. Although he bowled some tough overs for the Vipers, Amir had an economy rate of 7.66 and a bowling average of 21.08.
At No. 10 and 11 are Fazalhaq Farooqi and Waqar Salamkheil, the Afghan duo from MI Emirates. Alongside Trent Boult, Akeal Hosein, and Dwayne Bravo, Farooqi and Salamkheil formed a potent bowling attack that propelled them to the championship.
Both Farooqi and Salamkheil finished the title-winning season as the joint-highest wicket-takers of the tournament, each claiming 17 scalps.
Farooqi offered no respite to the opposition batters, bowling at an impressive average of 13.06. His lethal swinging deliveries at the start and his masterful changes of pace in the death overs significantly contributed to his and MI Emirates' success.
The MI franchise has a knack for unearthing hidden gems, and their latest addition, Salamkheil, is a prime example. The left-arm wrist spinner from Kabul trapped most batters he faced, taking a wicket every 12.59 balls and earning the white belt for his stellar campaign.
12th man: Trent Boult (16 wickets at an average of 21.88 in 12 matches)
Best XI of ILT20 2024: Kusal Perera, Muhammad Waseem, James Vince, Sam Billings, Nicholas Pooran (c&wk), Sikandar Raza, Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Amir, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Waqar Salamkheil
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