Sikandar Raza hit a last-ball six in his battling unbeaten 60 off 45 balls to lift Dubai Capitals to a thrilling five-wicket win over the Desert Vipers.
Raza orchestrated his team’s victory through a fourth-wicket, 79-run partnership in 54 balls with Sam Billings, and a 40-run, fifth-wicket partnership in 23 balls with Dasun Shanaka.
With 13 runs needed off the last over, UAE’s 19-year-old medium pacer Ali Naseer bowled a brave over, but when six runs were needed off the last ball Raza hit him over long on.
Vipers had posted a challenging 171 for the loss of seven wickets through Alex Hales’ 66 off 37 balls, but Raza had other ideas.
Raza, who has bagged 11 man-of-the-match awards in T20s, the most by any player in the world, described his last-ball six by saying: “I said to myself, I don’t think he will go short as I had hit one earlier out of the ground. I will hold my shape and try and hit it in the air and hit it as well as I can.”
Speaking about his opponent at the other end, Ali Naseer, Raza continued: “He bowled really well; these are things we have learnt all through our careers. For a 19-year-old to bowl the final over, it was fantastic, and he nearly won it for them. It could’ve gone either way; but sorry we needed that win tonight, the first thing that comes is the faith that keeps me going.”
Sam Billings, after hailing Raza’s knock said: “He has shown his true character and skill. I told him that one shot can get him back, we just had to hang in there and the spinners did a fantastic job, and they changed the game. We needed to win tonight and we can deal with tomorrow. Very proud of the efforts.—Agencies
