"VAN" (Sports Desk - 17.09.2026) :: The fourth edition of the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament got off to an exciting start at the ICC Academy, Dubai, with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Development, Sharjah Warriorz Development, Gulf Giants Development and Desert Vipers Development all registering victories in their opening matches.
On Tuesday evening, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Development defeated MI Emirates Development by 17 runs.
Batting first, Knight Riders posted 186/8, with Usaid Amin top-scoring with 78 off 45 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. Amin and Nawodya Vijaykumara (57 off 36) added 99 for the fifth wicket after the side slipped to 32/4. Muhammad Rohid Khan (3/24) and Said Nazeer (3/35) were MI Emirates’ leading bowlers in an impressive display.
In reply, MI Emirates were reduced to 97/6 before Ali Naseer (41 off 21) and Wahab Hassan (30 off 23) sparked a late fightback. KS Bharat (43 off 37) and Usman Khan (28 off 18) had earlier added 48, but MI Emirates eventually finished on 169/7. Asel Sigera (2/17) and Muhammad Uzair Khan (2/50) led the Knight Rider's efforts with the ball.
Earlier in the day, defending champions Sharjah Warriorz Development stamped their authority with a dominant nine-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals Development.
Electing to bowl first, skipper Junaid Siddique (3/27) and Dhruv Parashar (4/9) dismantled most of the Capitals’ top and middle order to bowl them out at 136. Khalid Shah (35 off 25) and Mohammed Halan Mohammed Harris (22 off 20) were the only Capitals batters to register scores over 20.
For the Warriorz, Luqman Faisal made light work of the target with a blistering knock of 95* runs in 38 balls, smashing four fours and eleven sixes. After Ronak Panoly’s (17 off 10) early dismissal, Faisal remained unbeaten and joined Ethan D’Souza (21* off 25) for a 116-run partnership that took the Warriorz home in 12.1 overs and handed the Capitals their second consecutive loss.
On Monday evening, Gulf Giants Development also registered a nine-wicket victory against Dubai Capitals Development.
A comprehensive performance with the ball, led by two-wicket hauls from Awais Ahmed (2/31), Zuhaib Zubair (2/19) and Nabeel Aziz (2/12), restricted the Capitals to 138/9. Coming in at number five, Ahmed Tariq (44 off 36) emerged as the top scorer of the innings.
In the second innings, the Giants cruised to their target in just 10.5 overs. Opener Sagar Kalyan (52* off 29) smashed a half-century with four fours and four sixes while Anshh Tandon (42 off 18) and Junaid Shamsu (42* off 19) scored at strike-rates over 220 to secure the Giants' first victory of the campaign.
The season opener of the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament saw Desert Vipers Development defeat MI Emirates Development by four wickets.
Batting first, the MI Emirates posted 170/9 buoyed by KS Bharat’s (51 off 28) half-century, studded with three fours and five sixes at the top of the order. Usman Khan (30 off 25) and Aryan Lakra (23 off 15) also made contributions, but the duo of Hilal Noor Afghan (4/28) and Wali Muhammad Afridi (3/26) ensured consistent breakthroughs.
Though the Desert Vipers batting unit largely did not convert their starts, Taimoor Ali's 24-ball knock of 44 runs and contributions from Vriitya Arvind (21 off 11), Israr (23 off 23), Nilansh Keswani (26 off 19) and Harshit Kaushik (26* off 20) proved enough to breach the target comfortably.
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