Match overview
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders defeated Gulf Giants by 32 runs in the ILT20 on 28 December 2025 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Winning the toss and choosing to field, Gulf Giants conceded 179/1 across 20 overs before their own chase unravelled inside the powerplay. Three wickets fell for 32 runs in the first six overs of the reply, and the side never recovered, finishing on 147/9. MS Pepper collected the Player of the Match award. For Knight Riders, it was a second win over Gulf Giants in the 2025 season; for Gulf Giants, it extended what has become a five-match losing streak.
The result was shaped in the first six overs of both innings. Knight Riders reached 56/0 in the powerplay, 15 runs above the Dubai ground's average of 41. Gulf Giants, by contrast, were 32/3 at the same stage of their chase. From that point the gap between the sides was simply too large to close, even though Gulf Giants matched Knight Riders run-for-run through the middle overs, scoring 75 in overs seven to fifteen.
Venue and conditions
Dubai International Cricket Stadium is one of the most data-rich T20 venues on the circuit. Across 333 matches, the average first-innings score is 173 and the average second-innings score is 155. Knight Riders' 179/1 sat comfortably above both marks, which underlines how cleanly they batted on the surface.
The venue's death-overs average is 35 runs. Knight Riders produced 48 in that phase without losing a wicket, an execution that pushed the total into a range Gulf Giants were unlikely to reach given their powerplay damage. Teams winning the toss opt to field 64% of the time here, and the chase success rate of 56% across all T20s at the ground means the decision is not unreasonable in isolation. On this night, however, the conditions did not deteriorate for batting as the innings progressed, and Gulf Giants paid for losing early wickets.
How to watch
The ILT20 is available to UK viewers on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming via Sky Go and the NOW TV day pass for those without a full subscription. Sky carries the majority of fixtures across the tournament window, and match schedules are listed on the Sky Sports website. The time difference between the UAE and the UK means most ILT20 fixtures start in the mid-to-late afternoon for British viewers, with evening games kicking off around 16:00 or 17:00 GMT.
Recent form
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders came into this fixture having won two of their previous five matches, with victories against Gulf Giants and Desert Vipers offset by losses to Sharjah Warriorz, MI Emirates, and Dubai Capitals. A mixed record, but the side showed they could put big totals on the board when conditions allowed.
Gulf Giants' run of form is considerably more concerning. Five consecutive defeats in the 2025 ILT20, against MI Emirates, Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Sharjah Warriorz, and Desert Vipers, suggest structural problems rather than bad luck. The powerplay collapse here, 32/3 against a target of 180, is consistent with a side that has struggled to build innings through the tournament. Until Gulf Giants find a way to protect top-order wickets in the first six overs, the chase success rate at Dubai International, 56% across the ground's history, will remain largely academic for them. Their next fixtures will offer an early opportunity to arrest the slide before the competition moves into its latter stages.
