Nicholas Pooran keeps MI Emirates' ILT20 hopes alive

The West Indies batter hammers an unbeaten 66 to set up a Qualifier 2 meeting with Gulf Giants on Friday (February 10)

Sharjah: Dubai Capitals 151-5, MI Emirates 151-2 - MI Emirates won by eight wickets

Scorecard

MI Emirates will face Gulf Giants for a place in the ILT20 final after easing past Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator in Sharjah.

West Indies duo Andre Fletcher (68 not out) and Nicholas Pooran (66 not out) put on 104 for the third wicket to secure victory.

Trent Boult had earlier claimed 2 for 19 as the Capitals were limited to 151 for 5 from their 20 overs.

Rashid Khan, who has joined MI for the playoffs, picked up George Munsey who top-scored with 51.

Sikandar Raza (38) and Rovman Powell (30) had Capitals in good shape but they faded badly at the death, hitting three boundaries off the final four overs.

^{Rashid Khan has joined MI for the playoffs and came up with two key breakthroughs (ILT20)}

Muhammad Waseem (2) departed at the hands of Jake Ball in the first over of the reply and when Lorcan Tucker (10) soon followed after being pinned lbw by Dasun Shanaka the Capitals had reason to be hopeful.

But Fletcher and Pooran had other ideas. The latter, who gave up the West Indies captaincy after the T20 World Cup, was at his brutal best, lashing Shanaka over the rope twice in the ninth over.

Raza was punished with two maximums in the 12th over and Pooran took the chase to less than a run a ball with successive boundaries off Ball - the second of which was a massive six that travelled 96 meters into the Sharjah night.

Ravi Bopara then took the punishment in his only over as Capitals ran out of ideas. The victory was soon secured with 20 balls remaining, as Fletcher milked Akif Raja for three singles.

The result sends Capitals spiralling out of the competition and leaves MI with a chance to join Desert Vipers in Sunday's final in Qualifier 2 against Giants on Friday (February 10).

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