Dubai Capitals become ILT20 champions for first time after Rovman Powell makes most of extraordinary reprieve

Jamaican batter takes side to victory against Desert Vipers after controversy over Azam Khan wicketkeeping no ball

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  The Dubai Capitals celebrate winning the ILT20. All images by Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  The Dubai Capitals celebrate winning the ILT20.

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  MI Emirates’ Muhammad Waseem with the Blue Belt awarded to the best UAE player.

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  Sam Curran with the Red Belt as the most valuable player.

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  From left to right: MI Emirates’ Muhammad Waseem with the Blue Belt awarded to the best UAE player, Shai Hope with the Green Belt (best batter) and Sam Curran with the Red Belt as the most valuable player.

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  Shai Hope with the Green Belt (best batter).

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  Sikandar Raza celebrates after hitting the winning runs.

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  Rovman Powell top scored for the Dubai Capitals with 63 off 38 balls to help his team win by four wickets.

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  Dubai Capitals opener Shai Hope hit 43 off 39 balls.

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  Desert Vipers bowler Mohammad Amir celebrates the wicket of Dubai Capitals' Gulbadin Naib for five.

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  Dubai Capital opener David Warner is bowled by Vipers' David Payne for four.

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  Max Holden top-scored for the Vipers after hitting 76 off 51 balls, including 12 fours, helping his team reach 189-5 off their 20 overs.

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  Capitals bowler Haider Ali celebrates after taking the wicket of Vipers batter Dan Lawrence for 10.

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  Vipers batter Azam Khan hit a quickfire 27 off 12 balls, including three fours and a six.

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  Dubai Capitals bowler Sikandar Raza celebrates the wicket of Vipers batter Max Holden for 76.

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  Vipers captain Sam Curran, with teammate with Azam Khan, scored 62 off 33 balls, including five fours and three sixes.

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  Max Holden celebrates reaching his half-century for Desert Vipers.

After 34 matches over the course of a month, the two best teams in the DP World International League T20 were finally split by an arcane technicality of cricket’s law book.

Even allowing for the correct reading of Law 27.3.2, and multiple TV replays in super-low mo, the pivotal moment in the 2025 final of the UAE’s franchise competition was still contentious.

On the second ball of the seventh over of Dubai Capitals’ pursuit of 190 to beat Desert Vipers, Nathan Sowter had Rovman Powell smartly stumped down the leg-side by Azam Khan. Powell was clearly out of his ground, and the Capitals appeared sunk, on 56-4.

As the Jamaican batter was on his way back to the dressing room, the TV umpire, Paul Wilson, intervened.

The relevant law says, “the wicketkeeper shall remain wholly behind the wicket at the striker’s end from the moment the ball comes into play until the ball” is hit or passes the wicket, or the striker attempts a run. If not, a no ball must be given.

Wilson ruled that Azam’s gloves had just moved faintly ahead of the stumps as the ball passed by Powell. If so, it was barely perceptible.

Sowter bowled a wide off the next ball, and the ball after that was dispatched into the stands. The momentum had shifted inexorably to the Capitals, and the Vipers were unable to reassert control.

Powell himself made 63 from 38 balls. Aided by brilliant cameos from Dasun Shanaka and Sikandar Raza, it was enough for the Capitals to claim a four wicket win with four balls remaining.

That means the Dubai side are the first to win a major trophy for GMR, the company who also own the Indian Premier League side of the same name from Delhi.

There was plenty of niggle to spice this game. It was the fourth time these sides had met in the space of 20 days, and familiarity seems to have bred contempt.

Especially when it comes to Gulbadin Naib. The muscle-bound Afghan all-rounder has been a revelation for the Capitals with both bat and ball in this competition.

His penchant for flexing his biceps when celebrating wickets has clearly got up a few noses, though.

In the course of his fine half-century, Vipers captain Sam Curran imitated the flex, after Gulbadin had misfielded off his own bowling.

When Gulbadin was then dismissed cheaply in the run chase, Mohammed Amir, the bowler, did the same, while Curran also gave the batter a send off.

Curran was clearly amped. During his outstanding innings of 62 not out off 33 balls he hit a six into the top tier which measured a massive 117 metres.

His late push with Azam Khan – the duo added 67 for the fifth wicket in the last five overs of the Vipers effort – helped them post 189-5, after Max Holden had made a fine 76 earlier in the innings.

That meant the Capitals would require the exact same target as they had when they faced the Vipers in the first qualifier on Wednesday. They won that game in a final-ball thriller.

With the title on the line this time around, it was no less tense. The nerves must have been racing in the Capitals dressing room after they were reduced to 31 for three within the first five overs.

Those three cheap wickets were David Warner, Gulbadin and Sam Billings, the three stars of the Capitals batting line up.

Powell, for his part, had been shy of time at the wicket in this competition. That might have continued were it not for the remarkable reprieve that allowed him to become the hero of the night for the Capitals.