Sensational comeback and Jason Holder, you beauty, galvanized his team superbly and ADKR made a roaring comeback in this game, gets back-to-back wickets, asking him to flay at the fuller wide once and he obliges, chases it for a drive and another edge gobbled by Pepper! That will the end of defending champions campaign and Knight Riders will have another chance to make it to the final!
KnightRiders vs DC, Eliminator at Dubai, ILT20, Jan 01 2026 - Match Result
This is the lowest match aggregate (266) involving KnightRiders & DC in T20s
KnightRiders's 50-run win against DC is their largest margin of victory in terms of runs in T20s, beating 42-run win against MI Emirates
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What a clinical performance by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders! They have bundled out Dubai Capitals for a meagre 108, with no innings of note apart from Neesham's 19 off 13 and Nabi's 27 off 13. It's a sorry-looking scorecard, and Holder, Narine, and Livingstone picked up three wickets each while being miserly and suffocating for the batters. Salt and Pepper earlier stitched together a match-winning stand, and even though there was a massive collapse in the middle, a cameo from Holder with the bat gave them just enough runs on the board to make it a contest. And boy, did they deliver perfectly, increasing their intensity by leaps and bounds on the big night. It's a new year, and it looked like a brand new improved team! Today, they looked like a completely different outfit, stunning Capitals with their aggression and accuracy. They never looked out of the game with the ball, picking wickets at will as Capitals batters went frantically about their business, finding fielders whenever they tried to clear the ropes. There's a lot for Capitals to reflect on and learn when it comes to pacing the innings and taking calculated risks, as they fell short on the strategic front with the bat
Mohammad Nabi, Dubai Capitals captain: Think it's quite tough to say we pulled it back when bowling when they looked set to score 200 and we bowled really well as a bowling unit but not as a batting unit. It's not that much spin but again they bowled really well. Enjoyed tournament as an allrounder and captain, it's hard luck on today's game but otherwise the whole tournament we played really well
Jason Holder, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders captain: Really really happy with the win, boys played really good cricket. We obviously lost wickets in the middle but still got a competitive score on this wicket. Still gotta back your calls -- some days it works, some days it's not. We got players who can play dual roles… (on personal form), pleased, haven't had a huge deal to do with the bat, finished last year well, started this year well, hopefully this continues. Always good contest between these two teams, always like a derby (match against MI Emirates). May the better team win
Sunil Narine, Player of the Match: I am trying to bowl a little bit more attacking, sometimes you get hit when you attack… Latter half in Dubai it's spinning a bit, so you have more options as spinners. The atmosphere and vibes help; when you win, it helps. In three years we struggled and the fourth year we are here, it's emotional because we have played good cricket in the past. They (Knight Riders) are a proud franchise, they want to keep up high, and we have the momentum. Hope we can win the championship
Around the wicket, edged and taken and that looks like the killer blow! Pushed wider across off on a length and he was not going to hold back, tries to hammer it up and over extra cover, gets the toe-end part of the bat and snaffled by the keeper, with his wicket, he takes away all the hopes for any upset
Change of line, length and sliding across off, he shuffles across and flicks it across the line to midwicket, gets the single he was looking for, heaps of experience, all resting on his shoulders to keep his team's hopes alive and it's a perfect time for the strategic timeout
We know Nabi is a great player of spin, not a good match-up, fuller and angling into him, he gets right behind the line and knocks him over his head for a long-on for a towering six, that's a good over for Capitals
Follows him as he wanders down leg, and cramps him for room, scuffs a drive back to him
Over the wicket, leg spinner quicker and fuller, turning away from middle, the right-hander, inside edge down down wide of fine leg up in the ring, good comeback from Livingstone who has bowled like a frontline option tonight
Quicker into the toes, whacked over his head for a six! Overcooked and he got right under it, captain is not going to die wondering, that was in the slot and deposited into the stands! 84 meters
Around the wicket, shorter and angling into his body as he steps away to the leg-side, flicked to the leg-side, singles are not going to make any difference
Touch fuller and outside off, opens the face and smoothly carves it away to deep cover-point, will keep the strike as he should
Low full-toss, nearly a yorker, it swung in late and was dipping into his toes, blocked back to the bowler
The white seats above the sight screen are obstructing the view and Nabi is not comfortable about it.
Around the wicket, rams the yorker into the toes, digs it out to midwicket, all down to captain
Fuller and wide, clattered on the rise to long-off
Spiteful bumper delivery around the line off, unable to connect on the cut, above shoulder height, not given as no ball increasing batters's troubles
Around the wicket, big man dugs in short and slants it across off, just inside the tramline on off, Nabi is not too amused, thought it's a wide but it was well inside the line, Nabi has an issue with sight screen too
Around the wicket again, fuller and lower trajectory, leg-side line, flicked towards midwicket and settles for a run, another fabulous over, think Capitals wanted to take him on and saw him as less of a threat and it's been relentless pressure from all ends, no respite at all
Looped up full on leg, right into the toes, takes it one, frees his arms and smokes it high and handsome past long-on, excellent attempt from the fielder who almost made it
Moves leg-side and plays a controlled push in front of midwicket and gets away from the firing line, gets off the mark
Once again, length and wicket to wicket, he puts bat on ball
Ohhwww, good length and spinning in the corridor, lunges at it and tries to punch it through the off-side, beaten
wheels continue to come off and another one perishes! Livingstone with a golden arm gets another apparently, given. by the on-field umpire but sent upstairs. Livingstone can do no wrong tonight, irksome angle from around the wicket, shaping it in from a length and gets just enough drift and inward movement to cause confusion in the batter's mind, he lunged at it and missed, hitting middle and leg, all reds mean Willey has to take the long walk back to the pavilion. What a power packed performance from ADKR! It will be statement win and they seem to be fully ready for the Qualifier 2. Asking rate demands big shots but it's all chaos at the moment from Capitals
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| Dubai International Cricket Stadium | |
| Toss | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, elected to bat first |
| Series | |
| Season | 2025/26 |
| Players per side | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 12 (11 batting, 11 fielding); Dubai Capitals 12 (11 batting, 11 fielding) |
| Player Of The Match | |
| Series result | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders advanced |
| Hours of play (local time) | 18.30 start, First Session 18.30-20.00, Interval 20.00-20.20, Second Session 20.20-21.50 |
| Match days | 1 January 2026 - night (20-over match) |
| ADKR Player Replacement | Impact player: in, out (1st innings, 19.6 ov) |
| DC Player Replacement | Impact player: in, out (1st innings, 16.6 ov) |
| Umpires | |
| TV Umpire | |
| Reserve Umpire | |
| Match Referee | |
Over 17 • DC 108/10

