MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals – Thrilling T20 Encounter in International League 2025/26

Last night’s International League T20 2025/26 match between MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was a thriller! On December 17th, 2025, the game had everything: big hits, tight bowling, smart tactics, and a super close finish that had everyone on the edge of their seats. In the end, MI Emirates pulled out a win, thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s awesome batting and Rashid Khan’s great bowling.

Toss and Game Stuff

The Dubai Capitals won the toss and chose to field first, which made sense because of the dew at night in Dubai. Teams batting second usually have an easier time seeing the ball and dealing with a slower field. But the Emirates team had a few tricks up their sleeves. The stadium, known for its short boundaries and fast outfield, was packed with excited fans.

MI Emirates’ Turn to Bat

MI Emirates ended up with 137/8 in 20 overs. It wasn’t a huge score, but they were smart about how they got there. Muhammad Waseem opened and scored 17 off 19 balls, giving them a decent start with a couple of hits to the boundary. But things really took off when Jonny Bairstow went to work.

Bairstow just killed it! He scored 67 runs off only 40 balls, with 8 fours and 3 sixes. He was hitting the ball so well and placing it so perfectly that the Dubai Capitals bowlers, especially Muhammad Jawadullah and Mustafizur Rahman, were just trying to survive.

The guys in the middle, Nicholas Pooran (8 off 16) and Kieron Pollard (6 off 8), didn’t do much, but Kamindu Mendis chipped in with 10 runs off 7 balls. Near the end, Romario Shepherd and Naveen-ul-Haq made sure MI Emirates got to a score they could defend, with Shepherd ending up not out at 18 off 10 balls.

Extras didn’t matter much, contributing only 3 runs coming from wides and a leg-bye. Even though they didn’t score a ton of runs, the team’s tight bowling and fielding put pressure on the Dubai Capitals.

MI Emirates’ Bowling Show

The MI Emirates bowlers did exactly what they needed to do. Rashid Khan was amazing, getting 2 wickets and only allowing 14 runs in 4 overs. He kept the pressure on with his spin and tricky changes. His wickets were super important, breaking up some key partnerships for the Dubai Capitals.

Romario Shepherd also bowled well, taking 2 wickets for 25 runs in 3 overs. Naveen-ul-Haq got 2 wickets for 27 runs, including the big wicket of Jordan Cox, who was starting to look dangerous. Kamindu Mendis even grabbed a wicket for 16 runs, slowing things down in the middle overs.

MI Emirates’ bowling was so good that the Dubai Capitals could never really get going, even though some of their guys played well individually. It just goes to show that in T20, good bowling is as important as hitting big.

Dubai Capitals Try to Bat Back

Trying to chase 138 runs, the Dubai Capitals had trouble against the MI Emirates bowlers. Jordan Cox played great for his team, scoring 46 off 41 balls and holding the innings together with some well-timed shots and three hits to the boundary. Shayan Jahangir also did well, hitting 34 off 27 balls with three huge sixes, which kept the Capitals in the game.

But the other guys didn’t do so well. Leus du Plooy was out quickly for 4, and the captain, Dasun Shanaka, only got 3 runs before getting caught off Kamindu Mendis. Rovman Powell added 11 runs, but the team kept losing wickets at bad times, which messed up their partnerships and made things tense.

Towards the end, Mohammad Nabi (12 runs), David Willey (9 runs), and Haider Ali (2 runs) tried to win but it wasn’t good enough. Even with some close calls, including run-outs and tight umpire decisions, Dubai Capitals ended up at 130 all out in 20 overs, losing by 7 runs.

Key Times and Big Moments

A few overs and moments really made a on the game:

3rd Over (MI Emirates Powerplay): Bairstow started hitting the Capitals’ bowlers hard, scoring quickly and boosting the momentum for his team.
16.3 Over (MI Emirates Bowling): MI Emirates made a smart review(referral to the 3rd umpire for review of a decision) that got Kamindu Mendis out.
Strategic Timeouts: Both teams used their timeouts to adjust their batting and bowling based on what was happening in the game.
Final Overs: Rashid Khan bowled so well at the end, taking wickets and not allowing many runs, that the Capitals couldn’t make a comeback.

Top Players

Jonny Bairstow was the star of the show with his 67 off 40 balls, earning him Player of the Match.

His hitting, with a cool strike rate of 167.50, put MI Emirates in a great spot early on.

Rashid Khan’s bowling (2/14) was also key, stopping the Capitals from scoring and getting rid of important players.

Romario Shepherd and Naveen-ul-Haq also played great.

Which Partnerships Mattered

Bairstow & Nicholas Pooran: Added 41 runs in just 13 balls.
Cox & Shayan Jahangir (Dubai Capitals): Put up some resistance but couldn’t win the game.

Fielding and Extras

MI Emirates’ fielders were sharp, getting run-outs and saving runs. Dubai Capitals weren’t as good, giving away 8 extras, while MI Emirates only allowed 3, showing their discipline.

What It Means

MI Emirates won by 7 runs, showing how important aggressive batting and good bowling are. This win gets them 2 points in the International League T20 2025/26, which helps them move up in the standings. Dubai Capitals, even though they tried hard, didn’t get any points.

The Place and the Fans

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium was the perfect place for this intense T20 match. With bright lights, a loud crowd, and a pitch that helped both hitters and bowlers, everyone had a great time watching the game.

In Conclusion

The MI Emirates versus Dubai Capitals game was a classic T20 match. Jonny Bairstow’s hitting and Rashid Khan’s bowling were the big stories, and MI Emirates managed to stay calm under pressure and get the win. The Dubai Capitals showed they can fight, especially with Jordan Cox and Shayan Jahangir, but they need more from the rest of their lineup to win games. Overall, it was one of the best matches ever.