ILT20 2025: Nicholas Pooran hails players for executing the plans after mammoth win against Desert Vipers

MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran was delighted after they registered a gargantuan 154-run win against Desert Vipers at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi in the ongoing ILT20 2025 on Monday. MIE posted a mammoth total of 228 runs on the board after Sam Curran decided to bowl first.

Tom Banton became the first player in ILT20 to score two centuries in a single edition of the tournament. Banton scored a blistering knock of 105 runs off just 55 balls with the help of nine fours and seven sixes. The English batter scored his second fifty off just 12 balls as he took the opposition’s bowlers apart.

Andre Fletcher also scored an unbeaten knock of 96 runs off 50 balls with the help of 10 fours and three maximums. Fletcher and Banton added a huge alliance of 198 runs for the second wicket.

On the other hand, Desert Vipers were skittled out for a paltry score of 74 runs as only two batters could reach the double digits.

Nicholas Pooran said after the win, “It was very pleasing to see, the last two games were tough for us. We had some tough conversations with the players and they went out and executed exactly what we planned. Was great to see that partnership.”

On the team’s decision to leave Akeal Hosein out, Pooran said, “It’s tough, you’re the no.1 T20 bowler and it’s tough to leave a guy like that out. But he’s a team player, the decision had to be made.”

Tom Banton was awarded Player of the Match for his blistering knock.

He said after the comprehensive win, “I didn’t get off to a flier, knew the longer I stayed there the better chance I had. Sometimes you get off to a flier and sometimes you don’t. Being a top order batter in white-ball cricket, you come up against some really good bowlers so you need to have good technique. The ball has swung and seamed more in the past couple of years. We’ve come off the back of two losses so we were under some pressure. Me and Fletcher spoke about taking it deep, special night for MI Emirates, don’t want to take it for granted.”

MI Emirates will next take on Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday.