Andre Russell displayed his hitting prowess with an unbeaten 33-ball-53 but failed to take Abu Dhabi Knight Riders past Dubai Capitals which won a close ILT20 League match by nine runs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Dubai Capitals posted a competitive 196 for 5 riding on US international Shayan Jahangir‘s 54-ball-99 and then stopped ADKR in its blocks at 187 for 8 despite Russell hitting four sixes and an equal number of boundaries.
Batting first, the Capitals recovered from early setbacks through a defining 115-run partnership between Jordan Cox (29 off 30) and Jahangir. He anchored the innings before falling agonisingly short of a century having hit 10 fours and five sixes and propelling the Capitals to a formidable 196/5.This was the highest score by an associate player in the ILT20 tournament.Although Russell’s explosive late cameo injected hope, it ultimately proved insufficient as the Capitals held their nerve to seal a deserved win.“I’m proud to now be part of the ILT20, representing the USA, where cricket is making strong progress. Performances like these will bring greater recognition to US cricket. Being entrusted with this responsibility means a lot, and I’m glad I could repay that trust,” Player of the Match Jahangir said after victory.Dubai Capitals skipper Dasun Shanaka said: “We had runs on the board, but with the dew around, you never know against such power-hitters. Having Nabi there made my job easier. Jahangir was under pressure early and didn’t have the best powerplay, but he showed character to go on and make 99. Hopefully, he will build on this in the matches to come.”
