Desert Vipers won their first DP World ILT20 trophy by defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday night. Desert Vipers won a cash prize of USD 700,000 along with the Black Belt, while MI Emirates were awarded USD 300,000. Desert Vipers won the final match against MI Emirates by 46 runs and captured the title. In the ILT20 final, played on January 4, 2026, Desert Vipers batted first against Mumbai Indians Emirates and scored 182 runs for 4 wickets in 20 overs.
It is said that the strength of an army is measured by the courage, determination, and stamina of its commander. This is the secret behind Desert Vipers becoming the new ILT20 champions. Desert Vipers’ captain, Sam Curran, led his team from the front from start to finish. In doing so, he left his mark in both captaincy and batting. Interestingly, Curran played his biggest innings in the league in the match that was most crucial for his team, Desert Vipers. He gave his best in the final, and the result is clear for all to see.
Desert Vipers captain Sam Curran played a key role in helping them reach 182. Coming in at number four, he played a captain’s innings, scoring his highest score of the current season. He scored an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls, including eight fours and two sixes. Before his 74 in the final, Curran’s best score in the current season was 67 not out. Mumbai Indians Emirates were set a target of 183 runs to win, but they could only manage 136 runs in the chase.
In the final, MI failed to play the entire 20 overs and were all out in 19.3 overs, losing the final by 46 runs. Sam Curran played a leading role in setting the stage for MI Emirates’ defeat in the final, but the rest of his team played a crucial role behind the scenes. Desert Vipers bowled a tight innings in the final, leaving MI Emirates’ batters unanswered. Naseem Shah took three wickets. David Paine also took three wickets, while Usman Tariq and Khuzaima Tanvir took two wickets each.
Sam Curran broke two records for Desert Vipers. Sam Curran not only led his team to the ILT20 title but also broke two records for them. He became the player with the most fifty-plus scores for Desert Vipers with six, breaking Max Holden’s record. He also became the player with the most catches for the Desert Vipers with 17. In this matter, he has broken Dan Lawrence’s record of 16 catches.
Desert Vipers captain Sam Curran scored an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes, to help his team post an unbeatable 182/4. He was well supported by innings from Max Holden (41 off 32 balls) and Dan Lawrence (23 off 15 balls). Naseem Shah (3/18), Usman Tariq (2/20), and Khuzaima Tanvir (2/22) led the bowling attack, followed by David Paine’s three wickets (3/42) to restrict MI Emirates to 136.
A stellar final performance on Sunday, under Dubai’s brightest night, cemented their dominance and ended years of close defeats. Desert Vipers’ Naseem Shah set the tone early with the dismissals of Andre Fletcher (10 off 11 balls) and Tom Banton (7 off 6 balls), while Khuzaima Tanvir capitalized on this by taking the crucial wicket of Mohammad Wasim (26 off 13 balls). MI Emirates lost three wickets in six overs, reducing the score to 46/3, leaving Shakib Al Hasan and Sanjay Krishnamurthy to toil hard.
MI Emirates’ hopes rested on Shakib and Kieron Pollard (28 off 27 balls), who put together a 50-run partnership in 38 balls before Tariq struck a crucial blow by dismissing Shakib, reducing the score to 61 runs in the last four overs. After Naseem dismissed Pollard, David Paine devastated the lower order, taking three wickets in the 18th over. Khuzaima Tanvir dismissed Mohammad Rohid (3 runs off 4 balls) to give the Vipers the win with nine balls to spare.
Earlier, the Vipers got off to a flying start in the power play, with Fakhar Zaman (20 runs off 15 balls) and Jason Roy (11 runs off 7 balls) taking them to 34/0 in the first three overs. The momentum shifted in the fourth over when Fazalhaq Farooqui struck twice to dismiss both openers. Curran responded strongly, hitting three consecutive boundaries in the last over of the powerplay to reduce the Vipers to 59/2.
Sam Curran then rotated the strike well with Max Holden and launched a smart attack, taking the Vipers to 83/2 at halftime. The two reached a 50-run partnership in the 11th over, off just 39 balls. Curran continued the attack while Holden played the anchor role, before Arab Gul took Holden’s wicket in the 15th over, ending their 89-run partnership off 64 balls.
The Vipers captain continued to apply pressure, reaching his half-century off 39 balls in the 17th over. His fourth-wicket partnership with Dan Lawrence (23 off 15 balls) provided impetus in the death overs, as they added 57 runs in just 33 balls to take the team to 182/4. Sam Curran capped a stellar ILT20 campaign, helping the Desert Vipers finally turn consistency into long-awaited silverware.
Sam Curran, whose all-round MVP performance and impact in the final reflect his significant impact throughout the season. He finished the tournament with 397 runs, three half-centuries, seven wickets, and 10 catches, earning him both the Red Belt for Most Valuable Player and the Green Belt for Best Batsman, a unique double that highlighted his importance to the Vipers’ title run.
Sam Curran’s MVP performance helped the Desert Vipers win the ILT20 title. Sam Curran capped a stellar tournament by winning both the Red Belt (Most Valuable Player) and Green Belt (Best Batsman) awards. Curran finished the season with 397 runs, including three half-centuries, and complemented his batting efforts with seven wickets and 10 catches.
The White Belt (Best Bowler) was won by Waqar Salamkhail of Dubai Capitals, who topped the bowling charts with 18 wickets. Meanwhile, Mohammad Wasim of MI Emirates won the Blue Belt for Best UAE Player for the fourth consecutive season after scoring 370 runs in Season 4. The winners of the DP World ILT20 Signature Belt were each awarded USD 15,000.