Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Match Scorecard :- 2nd December 2025; 1st Match International T20 2025-26

We know that cricket is a popular sport in almost every language and in every country. The passion, however, remains the same everywhere. This is also the case for the Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Match Scorecard —two extremely prominent cricket franchises. They are recognized in the DP World International League T20.

On 4th December, the Desert Vipers edged out Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets in an enthralling opening of Season 4. Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Match Scorecard took place at the Dubai International Stadium. This rematch of last season’s final saw the Vipes snap a six-match losing streak against the defending champions.

Stay tuned to read more and get more details on the Desert Vipers vs. Dubai Capitals 1st Match, International League T20, 2025-26  scorecard, and key highlights.  So read more for every detail.

Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Match Overview

Overview of Teams

The Desert Vipers

The Desert Vipers entered the DP World ILLT20 scene in the 2023 season as one of the 6 dynamic franchises. It is owned by the Lancer Capital group. It is known to represent Sharjah’s cricketing passion and is under the captaincy of Colin Munro in its yesteryears and then Sam Curran. The Vipers have quickly established themselves as chasers and blend explosive batting firepower with a lethal pace attack.

Their roster features some global stars like Nicholas Pooran, the wicketkeeper batsman who is renowned for his middle-overs. The team has also produced legends like Shaheen Afridi, Andries Gous,  Noor Ahmad, and Dan Lawrence.

Core Strengths 

• The Vipers are known strongly in the form of chases, and boast a top-order blitz from Gous, Fakhar Zaman, and Pooran. A deep middle order supports this. 
• Their bowling is impressive, and it thrives on express pace thanks to Naseem Shah and Shaheen. This is complemented by Sam Curran’s and Noor Ahmad’s swings.
• The tactical play in powerplays and death overs has been honed at the Stadium, giving them an edge against UAE pitchers.

Key Rivalries

The Vipers’ most fierce rivals are the Dubai Capitals, their perennial playoff rivals. The Capitals won the 2025 final and encounters before the Vipers’ 4th season opener revenge on 2nd December 2025. The Gulf Giants are another rival for the Vipers, wherein they clash in high-scoring shootouts. The Vipers’ pace has historically prevailed in knockouts.

Squad Members

The Dubai Capitals

The Dubai Capitals joined the DP World ILT20 around 2023. They are owned by the GMR Group, interestingly the same ones who own IPL’s franchise – Delhi Capitals. The Dubai Capitals are known to play out of Dubai and for hitting smart chases. They won the 2025 title after coming in as the defending champs of Season 4. With able captains like Rovman Powell and Dasun Shanaka, the team boasts a strong base.   The key players include Powell, Mohammad Nabi, and Jordan Cox. There are impressive spinners on the roster like Salamkheil and Nabi who control the middle overs, whereas Scott Currie is a fast bowler. 

Core Strengths

The Dubai Capitals are recognized for batting first and setting big scores. Powell speeds up, and Nabi keeps things steady, and they do well on UAE pitches. Currie and David Willey are known for their fast bowling, and they take quick wickets up front. Shanaka, on the other hand, makes smart chases. However, the biggest strength is that the team stays calm under pressure – thanks to the all-rounders and their home ground. 

Key Rivals

The Dubai Capitals are known to have their biggest rivalry with the Desert Vipers. They beat the Vipers in the 2025 final and won 6 games in a row before the  Vipers won in Season 4. The games against the Gulf Giants are tough top-team fights. Matches with the MI Emirates feel like a Dubai showdown on account of the rivalry. However, this is often saved by Powell and Nabi in close finishes.

Squad Members

Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Match key highlights and Analysis

The Desert Vipers edged out Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets at the opener of DP World ILL20 Season 4. This took place at the Dubai International Stadium on 2nd December 2025, and it was a rematch of last season’s final. This had seen the Vipers snap a 6-match losing streak against the Capitals.

Toss Result

The Dubai Capitals won the toss and were elected to bat first. They were banking on setting a competitive total on a pitch that was favoring early seam. The team captain, Dasun Shanaka, aimed to leverage the team’s strong top order, including Rovman Powell and Mohammad Nabi. However, this backfired as the Vipers’ pacers struck before. This tactical choice put pressure on the Capitals’ middle order, thus exposing the vulnerabilities in the batting depth.

Powerplay Momentum

The powerplay of the match proved to be quite decisive. This saw the Vipers seizing control whilst bowling, and the Capitals stumbled to score 32/3 after 6 overs. They lost Sediqallah Atal to Naseem Shah; Gulbadin Naib to Sam Curran’s sharp catch. They also lost Jordan Cox to Dan Lawrence.

In stark contrast, the Vipers exploded to a score of 64/1 in their powerplay. This was especially brought by Fakhar Zaman’s aggressive 26 off 15 and Andries Gous’s fluent start. This set a dominant tone for the entire chase. This swing in momentum highlighted the Vipers’ superior execution in the stadium.

Top Scorers

Rovman Powell led the Capitals’ batting with a counterattacking 39 off 22 balls. This was seen as smashing boundaries to rescue them from a score of 32/3. This forged a crucial 34-run stand with David Willey. Mohammad Nabi followed this with 29 off 23 and steadied the innings alongside Shanaka. For the Vipers, Andries Gous dominated the match with 58 off 36. His half-century anchored the chase, thus taking home the ‘Player of the Match’ title.

Key Bowling Spells 

Noor Ahmad’s spin spell of 2/25 was enough to dismantle the Capital’s middle order. This ended up dismissing Willey and Shanaka in the death overs. David Payne and Khuzaima Tanveer complemented the score with tight lines, thus removing Powell and Nabi at pivotal moments. In response to this, Waqar Salamkheil shone for the Capitals. Scott Currie claimed a score of 2/36, including late strikes on Hetmyer and Nawaz, but the Vipers held firm.

Turning Points

The early collapse of the Capitals to a score of 32/3 shifted momentum decisively towards the Vipers. Naseem Shah and Sam Currans’ strikes exposed battling issues, whereas Andries Gous and Zaman’s 50-run powerplay erased any chasing doubts. 

Salamkheil’s double blow briefly revived the Capitals at a score of 114/4 – but only because of Lawrence and Tanveer’s unfinished partnership to seal the win.

Tactical Decision Analysis 

Shanaka’s choice to bat first heavily misfired on a slowing pitch, wherein the Vipers’ bowlers exploited this situation to spin effectively. This ended up restricting the boundaries in the middle overs. The Vipers’ captain Curran opted for an aggressive powerplay bowling and took in early wickets and trusted Gous at the top. Thankfully, Gous gave a masterstroke given his form. 

The Capitals, however, failed to rotate strikes post the power play due to over-reliance on Powell. This highlighted their inability to plan, whereas the Vipers showcased their depth in finishing, thus highlighting their smarter rotation. 

Points Table Implication

This victory gave the Desert  Vipers an early lead in the ILLT20 Season 4 points table with 2 points from the first match. This boosted the morale after last season’s final loss, and Dubai Capitals, as defending champions, faced pressure to regroup. Desert vipers vs Dubai capitals match was amid a top-heavy league wherein early wins shaped the playoffs. 

Desert Vipers vs Dubai Match Scorecard  – Dubai Capitals Innings (150/8 in 20 overs)

Bowling 

Fall of Wickets 

Players did not Played

• Naseem Shah
• Wanindu Hasaranga
• Tom Bruce
• Vritya Aravind 
• Qais Ahmad 

Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Scorecard – Desert Vipers Innings (151/9 in 19 overs)

Bowling

Fall of Wickets 

Players did not Played

• Dasun Shanaka
• David Warner
• Tymal Mills
• James Neersham
• Leus du Plooy

Player of The Match

Andries Gous took home the title of Player of the Match in the Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Scorecard Analysis. His explosive 58 off 36 balls anchored through and it powered the successful score of 151 chases. 

Conclusion

In the Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals Match Scorecard, the Desert Vipers stunned the defending champions of Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets in the ILT20 Swason 4 opener. They chased 151 with Andries Gous’s unbeaten score of 58. The Dubai Capitals collapsed at a score of 32/3, and the Vipers’ powerplay blitz proved to be decisive thus snapping a six-match game. 

Thus, the Vipers went home with the victory, with Andries Gous being the player of the match.

FAQs

Read More:

Ramakrishna Ghosh: Age, Stats,Bowling Speed, IPL Team and More

Raistar UID: Fire ID, Stats, and K/D ratio

Refresh Date: February 2, 2026