Sam Curran had one of those days every captain dreams about honestly. He carried his bat through the innings when it mattered most. The final became his stage to show everyone why he’s rated so highly.
MI Emirates thought they had a chance going into the decider match. But Sam Curran had other plans written in his mind already. The ILT20 2026 Final will be remembered as his coming-of-age moment forever.
Sam Curran’s Match-Winning Knock
Sam Curran smashed 74 runs not out during the final chase. He faced 51 balls and hit boundaries all around the ground. His captaincy and batting combined perfectly when Desert Vipers needed both desperately.
Max Holden contributed 41 off 32 balls to support his captain nicely. Dan Lawrence added a quick 23 runs off just 15 deliveries too. But Sam Curran remained the star performer throughout that entire batting innings.
Desert Vipers posted 182 runs, which looked like a decent total then. Sam Curran’s knock gave the team confidence going into their bowling innings. His leadership inspired everyone around him to raise their game higher.
Desert Vipers Dominate the Final
DV grabbed their first-ever ILT20 trophy by absolutely demolishing MI Emirates. They bowled opponents out for a measly 136 runs in the chase. That 46-run thrashing in the ILT20 2026 Final shocked everyone watching at the stadium.
Naseem Shah was breathing fire with his pace bowling throughout the innings. He grabbed three wickets while David Payne also took three crucial scalps. The bowling duo made batting look impossible on that Dubai pitch.
MI Emirates kept losing wickets and couldn’t build any partnerships at all. Shakib made 36, Pollard added 28, and Waseem got 26 runs only. Nobody else hung around long enough to mount a proper challenge.
The game finished with nine balls left, which was pretty embarrassing for them. Desert Vipers players went absolutely crazy celebrating their maiden championship trophy everywhere.
Tournament Awards and Recognition
Sam Curran walked away with both the Red Belt and the Green Belt. His 397 runs and 7 wickets made him the obvious MVP choice. Nobody else came close to matching his all-round impact across the season.
Waqar Salamkheil from Dubai Capitals grabbed the White Belt for his bowling. The spinner’s 18 wickets were just ridiculous throughout the entire tournament. Muhammad Waseem got the Blue Belt as the best UAE player around.
