Tim Seifert’s stellar cameo did the trick for the Sharjah Warriorz as they sealed a stunning six-wicket win against defending champions MI Emirates in their winner-takes-it-all, DP World ILT20 Season 3 Eliminator clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Thursday evening. Seifert’s 40 off 20, coupled with Tim Southee’s two-wicket haul takes Sharjah Warriorz a step closer to the title as they will next face the Desert Vipers in Qualifier 2 on Friday for a spot in the final. 

By virtue of MI Emirates’ elimination, a new champion will be crowned in Season 3 of the DP World ILT20 as both former champions have been knocked out of the competition. This is also a historic campaign for the Sharjah Warriorz as this is the first time they have reached this stage of the tournament. 

Chasing a modest total of 147, the Sharjah Warriorz were off the blocks in a jiffy as Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Johnson Charles struck five fours in the opening two overs to put up 23/0. Charles went after Alzarri Joseph in the third over as he cut it away for a boundary and then launched a massive six as the Sharjah Warriorz motored on.  

Charles was in sublime form as he slashed away on a ball that was outside the sixth stump for another boundary and put up 27 runs off just 12 deliveries. The Saint Lucian batter didn’t spare any bowler as he next went after Muhammad Rohid and hit him for back-to-back boundaries. The young UAE bowler, though, made a fine comeback as he undid Charles with a short-pitched delivery. He departed for a well-made 36 off 20 and Jason Roy was the next man to come in. 

The Sharjah Warriorz looked well-poised to chase down the target as they amassed 58/1 at the end of the powerplay with Kohler-Cadmore in fine form. Kohler-Cadmore and Roy strung together a fine partnership as they took their side to 87/1 at the halfway mark and they needed exactly 60 runs off 60 deliveries. 

The MI Emirates needed a couple of quick wickets to work their way back into the contest and found their big breakthrough in the 13th over. Rohid was brought back in the attack and turned the tide in the MI Emirates’ favour as he dismantled Roy’s stumps to give his side some breathing room. It only got better for the local lad as he struck again two balls later when Will Jacks took a catch at cover to dismiss Matthew Wade. Rohid, thus picked up two massive wickets in the over and gave the MI Emirates a route back into the game.  

The momentum, though, was still with the Sharjah Warriorz as they were at 101/3 and needed 46 runs from the final seven overs with as many wickets in hand. Tim Seifert played a gem of an innings as he ensured he scored a boundary in each of the next three overs to take his team closer to the target. Kohler-Cadmore’s patient innings was snapped by Fazalhaq Farooqi, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, after the Englishman played it onto his stumps for 40 off 40. 

His dismissal served as a scare among the Sharjah Warriorz faithful, but Seifert took control of the chase and got the job done. He clobbered 16 runs in the 19th over to finish with 40 runs from 20 balls and lead the Sharjah Warriorz to Qualifier 2. This was the first time the Sharjah Warriors had reached this stage of the tournament. 

Earlier, the MI Emirates innings didn’t get off on the best note as Andre Fletcher fell to Adam Milne in the first over. Tom Banton and Will Jacks combined to put up 34 for the second wicket before an inspired bowling change earned the Sharjah Warriorz their second wicket. Ashton Agar was brought on in the sixth over and he repaid his captain’s faith right away as he got Jacks with a quicker one that skidded off the surface. However, Nicholas Pooran came out all guns blazing as he hit 4,4,6 to get things underway and lead the MI Emirates to 48/2 at the end of the powerplay. 

Banton and Pooran looked in sound form and the Englishman kept the scoreboard ticking and overtook Shai Hope to soar ahead in the race for the Green Belt. Banton’s stay came to an end in the 10th over as Rohan Mustafa took a stunning catch to dismiss him for 29. Mustafa bowled a flighted delivery and showed great reflexes to stick his right hand out and grab onto a sharp catch. At the halfway mark, the MI Emirates had 75/3 on the board. 

Pooran spearheaded his side’s scoring duties as he dealt only in boundaries to 42 runs off just 19 deliveries. He played the perfect captain’s innings and became only the third batter to score 1000 runs in the tournament but was undone in the 13th over by Dilshan Madushanka. The Sri Lankan hit the deck hard with a short ball and Pooran was beaten for pace. Bevon Jacobs fell in the next over after failing to dispatch a full toss and the MI Emirates found themselves at 101/5 with six overs to go. Interestingly, the MI Emirates had not lost a single wicket to spin in the six matches they played in Abu Dhabi this season but they lost three wickets in the evening. 

The Sharjah Warriorz swapped spin for pace in the 17th over as Southee came on and struck right away. Kusal Perera hit a six off the first ball but holed out the next delivery as Southee dismissed him for 18 off 12. It went downhill thereon for the Sharjah Warriorz as Romario Shepherd, who was dropped twice, trudged back to the pavilion for seven runs in the 19th over. The Sharjah Warriorz’ brilliant bowling display saw them restrict the MI Emirates to 146/8 in 20 overs. 

Nicholas Pooran, captain of the MI Emirates said: “We were below par, we put ourselves in a hole. It was difficult to defend on this surface where there wasn’t much assistance for the bowlers. Our bowlers tried very hard, credit must be given to them. They (Warriorz) took their chances. We didn’t have an answer for them. Congrats to them. You get what you deserve, we haven’t been consistent. Looking forward to next year.” 

Player of the match, Tim Seifert said: “Always nice to get to that winning position. Our bowlers did a great job. Those first four balls Pooran faced put pressure on us. The bowlers have been unbelievable. The way they use the new ball is outstanding. Big semi-final coming up, hopefully, we can make it to the final.” 

Brief Scores: 

Sharjah Warriorz beat MI Emirates by six wickets 

MI Emirates 146/8 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 42, Tom Banton 29, Kusal Perera 18, Tim Southee 2 for 24) 

Sharjah Warriorz 149/4 in 18.5 overs (Tim Seifert 40 not out, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 40, Johnson Charles 36, Muhammad Rohid 3 for 32) 

Player of the match: Tim Seifert

On the eve of Qualifier 2 at the DP World ILT20 Season 3, batting legend and commentator Virender Sehwag vouched to witness thrilling contest between Sharjah Warriorz and Desert Vipers on Friday, at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The winner of this match will take on Dubai Capitals in the final on Sunday, 9th February to be played at the Dubai International Stadium.

Emphasising on the wickets here in UAE that are tailor-made for scoring big runs, Sehwag said, “UAE stadiums have some of the best batting tracks. Though I didn’t have the opportunity to play a lot here, I did play a couple of games for India and during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and I absolutely enjoyed batting here in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.”

“Hopefully the next two games (Qualifier 2 and Final) will be a cracker. The match between Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers went down to the last ball and I am sure the next two games will be thrilling contest too.”

Having been part of the DP World ILT20 as a commentator since its inception, Sehwag highlighted the growth of this league and factors that makes it one of the top cricket leagues in the world. “I think the DP World ILT20 is one of the best leagues. Like IPL is good for the development of Indian cricket, similarly, DP World ILT20 is good for UAE players and the Middle East. But the good part is that you can’t see nine international players playing in one team in any other league.”

He further added, “This is the third year for me in DP World ILT20 as a commentator. And I’m seeing that a lot of good international players are coming and playing this league, which is benefitting UAE’s youngsters. They’re getting good experience with international players. And this year, if you look at all the matches, they have been very close and very interesting and there were a lot of games that saw 200-plus runs being scored too.”

On being asked if there was any batter, he would love to have a partnership going here in the DP World ILT20, Sehwag named Australia’s David Warner who scored a blistering 93 unbeaten against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to put the Dubai Capitals in the play-offs.

When asked if he would like to see Indian players in this league, he said, “I would love to see Indian players here. If any Indian player who has just retired from International cricket or IPL and if they want to play, like Dinesh Karthik is playing right now, it would be great, I would love to see Indian cricketers play here and if there was one player I would have particularly liked to watch here is the sixer-man Yuvraj Singh,” he signed off.

The dawn of February 5 will mark a new chapter for padel in India as the World Padel League makes its much-anticipated debut at the Nesco Center in Mumbai. ‘The Greatest Show on Court!’, set to take place until February 8, will bring together 32 of the world’s top padel players on Indian soil. They will compete across four teams – Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers, SG Pipers Cheetahs, Game Changers Lions, and Vernost Jaguars – with each team featuring a strong lineup of eight players, including five men and three women, along with a coach/captain.

Padel in India has seen a significant rise in participation and expanding infrastructure across major cities, with people of various age categories actively engaging in the sport. With support from the Indian Padel Federation (IPF), the Meteora Developers World Padel League – owned by ID Info Business Services Ltd. and powered by Maisour – will further inspire sports enthusiasts and contribute to the sport’s growing popularity in India.

SOLID SQUADS

The line-ups for all four teams are boasts a combination of elite talent and global rankings that promise high-level competition.

1. Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers
   Male: Carlos Daniel Gutierrez (World No. 19), Javier Barahona (World No. 29), Javier Leal (World No. 31), Javier Garcia (World No. 33), Rama Valenzuela (World No. 77)
   Female: Marta Ortega (World No. 7), Sofia Araujo (World No. 8), Marina Guinart (World No. 22)
2. SG Pipers Cheetahs
   Male: Francisco Guerrero (World No. 21), Juanlu Esbri (World No. 25), Enrique Goenaga (World No. 42), Teodoro Zapata (World No. 35), Pol Hernandez (World No. 65)
   Female: Claudia Fernandez (World No. 3), Beatriz Gonzalez (World No. 6), Julieta Bidahorria (World No. 35)
3. Game Changers Lions
   Male: Jon Sanz (World No. 9), Jairo Bautista (World No. 22), Gonzalo Rubio (World No. 38), Pablo Lijo (World No. 47), Daniel Santigosa (World No. 73)
   Female: Veronica Virseda (World No. 12), Aranzazu Osoro (World No. 18), Carla Mesa (World No. 32)
4. Vernost Jaguars
   Male: Alejandro Arroyo (World No. 18), Lucas Campagnolo (World No. 26), Maximiliano Sanchez (World No. 23), Aris Patiniotis (World No. 51), David Gala Sanchez (World No. 76)
   Female: Alejandra Salazar (World No. 15), Tamara Icardo (World No. 17), María Virginia Riera (World No. 19)

EXCITING MATCH-UPS

The World Padel League will kickstart with a thrilling opener as the Vernost Jaguars face Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers. In the second match of the opening day, SG Pipers Cheetahs will take on Game Changers Lions.

On the second day, Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers will meet SG Pipers Cheetahs in the first match of the day, followed by a clash between Vernost Jaguars and Game Changers Lions. The league stage concludes on February 7, with Game Changers Lions taking on Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers in the first match and the SG Pipers Cheetahs facing Vernost Jaguars in the second. The top two teams from the overall points table will compete in the finals on February 8.

FORMAT, SCORING and POINTS SYSTEM

The tournament will follow a single round-robin (all-play-all) format, with each team playing against every other team during the three league stage days, before the top two teams advance to the finals. Each match will comprise four sets: two men’s doubles, one women’s doubles, and one mixed doubles.

The scoring follows the same format as tennis: the first point is 15, the second point is 30, the third point is 40, and the fourth point wins the game. In the case of a deuce, a ‘Golden Point’ will be played to decide the winner.

During the group phase, if two teams are tied on points, the head-to-head record, based on the number of games won between the two teams, will determine the ranking. If three teams are level on points, the percentage of games won will be used to decide the order. In the case of a tie after the final match, a Super Shootout will be played to determine the winner.

The same doubles pair that played the fourth set will continue in the Super Shootout. It will be played first-to-10 points, with sudden death at 9-9.

WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH

Each day will feature two matches (at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM IST). The final will be held on Saturday, February 8 with the game starting at 6:30 PM IST.

The World Padel League will be broadcast to a global audience, reaching to various countries. Sports enthusiasts can catch the action live on:

Styx sports: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal
Myco: GCC, Egypt, Pakistan
India: Sony Sports Ten 1; Fancode (OTT)
Padel TV: Scandinavia and UK