"VAN" (Sports Desk - 30.12.2025) :: The DP World ILT20 Season 4 has reached a blockbuster final stretch, with the playoff line-up only confirmed after the final league-stage fixture. A must-win contest saw the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders overcome the Gulf Giants to seal the last available playoff spot and complete the final four.
The much-anticipated playoffs begin with Qualifier 1 tomorrow in Abu Dhabi, where the Desert Vipers face MI Emirates for a direct berth in the final. The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will then take on defending champions Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator in Dubai on 1 January, with the winner progressing to Qualifier 2 on 2 January in Sharjah to face the loser of Qualifier 1 for the second spot in the final, which will be played on 4 January at the Dubai International Stadium.
The Desert Vipers were the first franchise to seal their berth in the playoffs, doing so with six wins in as many games, including a nail-biting triumph against the Gulf Giants in the DP World ILT20’s historic first Super Over. The Vipers also became the first team in league history to win eight fixtures in the league stage of the season.
Max Holden (318 runs) provided consistency at the top of the order and Khuzaima Tanveer (14 wickets) and David Payne (12 wickets) delivered with the ball. Sam Curran (285 runs and seven wickets) has also played a central role in their campaign. He currently tops the Red Belt, awarded to the Most Valuable Player.
MI Emirates are evenly matched against the Vipers across eight encounters in four DP World ILT20 seasons, with four wins apiece. Notably, the two biggest winning margins in the competition’s history have both come in this fixture, with MI Emirates recording victories by 157 runs in 2023 and 154 runs in 2025.
MI Emirates recovered from a slow start to the season, turning around a campaign that began with two wins from their first five matches by putting together a five-match winning run to secure the second position on the points table. One of their top performers has been their opener and UAE star Muhammad Waseem (293 runs), who is currently at the top of the Blue Belt standings for the Best UAE player in season 4.
Reigning champions Dubai Capitals completed the league stage with five wins and five losses, with their campaign shaped by few of the season’s top individual performers. Waqar Salamkheil (17 wickets) and Mustafizur Rahman (15 wickets) have fronted the bowling effort to emerge as the top two wicket-takers so far, while Jordan Cox (311 runs) and Shayan Jahangir (302 runs) have been the most consistent run-scorers for the side.
The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders were the last team to qualify for the playoffs, overcoming the Gulf Giants with a dominant 32-run victory in a must-win fixture for both teams. It is only the second time the Knight Riders have reached the playoffs and in their only previous appearance at this stage, it was the Dubai Capitals who knocked them out. The Capitals also hold a dominant head-to-head record, having won eight of the nine meetings between the two sides.
UAE’s Ajay Kumar (15 wickets) has been the Knight Riders’ leading wicket-taker through the league stage, keeping him in the fray for the White Belt.
The DP World ILT20 carries a total prize pool of over USD 1 million, with the champions set to receive USD 700,000 and the runners-up USD 300,000. The winner of each of the DP World ILT20 signature belts will be recognized with a USD 15,000 cash prize.
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