Desert Vipers captain Sam Curran (left) and MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard (right) pose with the DP World International League T20 trophy at the Dubai International Stadium a day before the final of Season 4 of the tournament. (ILT20) Dubai: True to form across the various T20 leagues, MI Emirates (MIE) – the UAE-based franchise of Mumbai Indians – had an uneven campaign in the fourth season of the ILT20. They secured two wins in their first five games before recording five wins on the bounce to secure a place in the playoffs. After stumbling in the first qualifier, they booked their place in the 2025-26 ILT20 final against Desert Vipers.Meanwhile, the Desert Vipers have been one of the more consistent than MIE this season. Now led by Sam Curran, the franchise started with six consecutive wins, progressed to the playoffs in no time and maintained that dominance by defeating MIE in Qualifier 1.
ILT20 final press conference: Sam Curran, Kieron Pollard ahead of Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates
This trip to the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is not a first for either team. MI Emirates triumphed in 2024, while the Vipers have already reached the final twice but failed to reach the final both times (2023, 2025).Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Curran stepped in as captain following a calf injury to New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson, whose participation in the T20 World Cup is also under threat. After losing two finals in three years, the England all-rounder is hoping Sunday’s final will turn out differently.“You learn from it but it’s a new season, obviously completely different players but the conditions might be a bit different. I think you learn from that but we’ve done so many things well this season so I think we’ll keep going. We lost a close game last year,” Curran said on the eve of the final.“I think getting to the final is a huge achievement in itself and there’s one more to come so hopefully we’ll see how it goes tomorrow,” he continued.“Finals are always different – the pressure, the crowd, the opportunity – but that’s what it’s all about. We’re excited, fully aware of what it takes and looking forward to the challenge,” said Curran, who has 323 runs this season and is the second-highest run-scorer.MI have tasted success in all the T20 leagues they have been in (IPL, SA20, MLC and ILT20), some of which have featured MIE captain Kieron Pollard. They will be looking to add to their tally in the UAE on Sunday, with experience expected to play a key role.“You can say it (experience) counts, yes, but again, it’s different players at different times, you’re doing it in different parts of the world with different players. It’s interesting to understand what it takes to win, so for us, again, we’ve lost a lot of players … for us, I’m just glad the guys came together and got to this point,” Pollard said.“I want them to enjoy the experience of playing in the final and whatever happens, happens, you’re going to play to win, you’re going to do everything you look forward to, but just enjoy the experience,” he continued.
Players to watch out for
Curran, last year’s Red Belt (MVP) winner, is one player to watch out for in the Finals. Equally impressive was Andries Gous, whose unbeaten knock of 120 in qualifying kept MIE at bay.For the locals, the focus will be on UAE international Muhammad Waseem, who currently leads both the Green Belt (Most Runs) and Blue Belt (UAE Player of the Year) rankings with 344 runs this season. The UAE opener is also on course to win the Blue Belt for the fourth time in a row.
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Pollard had positive things to say about the UAE players who have come into their own this season: “What we’ve seen from the UAE players over the last few seasons has been outstanding, both for the franchise and for UAE cricket. When you give them a chance, they show real hunger and deliver when asked.“Rohid (Muhammad Rohid) was called up at the last minute but he was outstanding picking up two wickets in Qualifier 2. To see them step up and perform consistently at this level is encouraging not only for us as a team but also for the future and growth of UAE cricket.”Head to headPlayed: 7MI Emirates won: 3Desert Vipers won: 4
