ILT20 Season 2 (2024): MI Emirates Win Maiden Title, Nicholas Pooran's 57* Seals 45-Run Victory Over Dubai Capitals

MI Emirates won their first ILT20 title on 17 February 2024, beating Dubai Capitals by 45 runs in the Season 2 final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. MI Emirates posted 208/3 from 20 overs; Dubai Capitals could only reach 163/7 in reply. Nicholas Pooran's unbeaten 57 off 27 balls — producing boundaries seemingly at will in the closing overs — gave MI Emirates a total that proved beyond Dubai Capitals' best efforts. The victory gave MI Emirates their first ILT20 championship after finishing runners-up in Season 1 (2023, when Desert Vipers won).

Nicholas Pooran: 57* Off 27 in the Final

Nicholas Pooran's 57* off 27 balls in the ILT20 Season 2 final was the defining T20 innings of his MI Emirates campaign. Pooran — the West Indies wicketkeeper-batter and arguably the most destructive left-handed T20 batter in world cricket — accelerated MI Emirates' total from a competitive but beatable position into an unreachable one in the space of his 27-ball assault. His strike rate of over 200 in a final, where bowlers are typically at their most controlled and disciplined, represents the highest level of T20 batting skill. Pooran's ability to clear the Dubai International Stadium's boundary — one of the largest in T20 cricket — against quality death bowling is a measure of his power and technique.

Sikandar Raza: Player of the Tournament With 313 Runs and 13 Wickets

Sikandar Raza (Dubai Capitals) was named ILT20 Season 2's Player of the Tournament (Red Belt award) with 313 runs and 13 wickets — a genuine all-round performance that reflected his value across both disciplines. Raza, Zimbabwe's most celebrated cricketer and a UAE resident who has become a defining figure in Gulf cricket, used the ILT20 as the platform for an all-round campaign that his team could not quite convert into a title. His off-spin bowling and aggressive batting from the middle order made him one of the competition's two-way threats. The ILT20's Red Belt award for best player is distinct from the batting (Green Belt) and bowling (White Belt) leaders.

ILT20's Significance for UAE Cricket

The International League T20 (ILT20) was launched in January 2023 as the UAE's first professional T20 franchise league. It operates in the January-February window, overlapping with SA20 (South Africa) as part of a global franchise T20 calendar that has expanded dramatically since 2022. Six teams compete: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, and Sharjah Warriors. All six franchises are owned by groups with connections to established IPL franchises, giving the ILT20 immediate financial credibility and talent access. The competition hosts world-class international players who use the January window before national team commitments resume.