Match overview
Desert Vipers beat Sharjah Warriorz by 5 wickets at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 26 December 2025, completing a straightforward chase to extend their perfect ILT20 record against this opponent to five wins from five meetings. Warriorz posted 140/7 batting first, a total that fell 38 runs below the venue's average first-innings score of 178. Vipers were nervy in the powerplay, losing 2 wickets for 28 runs, but their middle overs were decisive: 69 runs and only 2 more wickets fell between overs seven and fifteen. MDE Holden took the Player of the Match award. The result keeps the Warriorz without a single win in this rivalry.
Sharjah's innings had a solid enough foundation. The powerplay brought 45 runs at the cost of 2 wickets, slightly above the ground's powerplay average of 42 runs. The middle phase, however, produced only 56 runs for 3 wickets, which left the batting side reliant on a strong finish. The death overs (overs 16-20) yielded 39 runs for 2 wickets. That put the final total at 140/7, competitive on most grounds but modest here.
Venue and conditions
Sharjah Cricket Stadium is one of the most data-rich T20 venues in the world, with 165 matches in the record books. The average first-innings score of 178 and average second-innings score of 164 tell a consistent story: this surface offers enough pace and bounce to reward good batting, but spinners and variations can keep scoring in check through the middle. The powerplay average of 42 runs and death average of 37 runs per innings suggest teams tend to start and finish at a moderate tempo, with the middle overs being where the real difference-making happens.
The chase success rate of 60 per cent at Sharjah is above the T20 average, which explains why 57 per cent of toss winners at this ground have elected to field. Evening dew can soften the surface as a match progresses, making the ball harder to grip for spinners and slightly easier to hit. Both of those factors tend to favour the side batting second, and the data bears that out.
How to watch
ILT20 matches are broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can stream via Sky Go on mobile or desktop, and non-subscribers can access coverage through a NOW TV day pass. Matches in the UAE take place in the UTC+4 time zone, meaning a 7:00 pm local start in Sharjah translates to a 3:00 pm UK kickoff time during winter. Check the Sky Sports website or app for confirmed broadcast schedules for each fixture.
Recent form
Sharjah Warriorz arrive in uncertain form, having won two and lost three of their previous five ILT20 matches in 2025. Their defeats included two losses to Dubai Capitals and one to Desert Vipers, and their wins came against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Gulf Giants. The pattern suggests they perform adequately against mid-table sides but struggle against the division's stronger outfits.
Desert Vipers have been more consistent, winning three of their last five, including victories over Dubai Capitals and Gulf Giants. Their only recent losses came against MI Emirates and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Within this fixture's specific context, Vipers have shown the ability to win in multiple ways: by 10 wickets at their most dominant and by 4 wickets when the chase is tighter. That flexibility makes them hard to plan against, and until Sharjah Warriorz find an answer for the Vipers' middle-overs batting, the rivalry looks set to remain one-sided. The next fixture between these two sides, should it arrive in the knockout stages, will test whether the Warriorz can finally break their duck in this contest.