MI Emirates Plays XI vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – ILT20 2025-26, Qualifier 2

MI Emirates Plays XI vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – ILT20 2025-26, Qualifier 2:

Openers: Muhammad Waseem, Andre Fletcher

MI Emirates, former ILT20 champions, would aim to win their second title by hosting an encounter against Desert Vipers.

But before that, they will have to get the better of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the next match.

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ADKR come into the match with a strong performance against Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator, meaning MI Emirates will have their work cut out for them in the batting and bowling departments.

The onus will be on the batters to put up a spirited effort, which will be led by the opening pair of Muhammad Waeem and Andrew Fletcherboth known for their aggressive hitting at the top of the order.

Waseem and Fleycher would like to start similarly in order to put pressure on the opposition bowlers and lay a platform for the middle order to capitalize on.

Along with this, both batters would also like to make a significant contribution on an individual basis in order to gain confidence for the all-important final.

Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Tom Banton (wk), Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Kieron Pollard (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Dan Mousley, Romario Shepherd

The reason why MI Emirates’ middle order is being talked about in the tournament is due to the presence of hard hitters like the captain. Kieron Pollard and versatile Shepherd Romarioboth of which have the capacity to change the game.

MIE can also count on the experience of Shakib Al Hasan, as well as Tom Banton, who has experience playing in various leagues around the world.

Each of the hitters mentioned above will need to do their best both batting first and chasing down.

The reason being the variety of options ADKR has, meaning hitters will need to bring their A game to counter them.

Bowlers: Allah Ghazanfar, Zahoor Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi

MI Emirates have a total of six bowling options in their arsenal, including team captain Kieron Pollard’s more than handy and gentle medium pacer.

If we talk about the five regular bowling options, it includes bowlers like Zahoor Khan, Fazalhaq FarooqiRomario Shepherd, who put in an all-round performance in Eliminator, Allah Ghazanfar, and experienced spinner Shakib Al Hasan.

Fazalhaq Farooqi and Zahoor Khan will handle the team’s fast bowling department and are expected to take the new ball, meaning they will be entrusted with picking wickets in the first six overs.

MI Emirates’ spin bowling department will be managed by Shakib Al Hasan and Allah Ghazanfar, who will look to pick wickets in the middle of ADKR’s batting innings.