The 8th match of the International League T20 2025 provided one of the most exciting clashes of the season with Gulf Giants and Desert Vipers engaging in a tense match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The match ended in a tie after 40 overs of quality cricket, and then the Super Over took the game to a different level. The game had all the elements that constitute high-quality T20 cricket. The match got decided in the Super Over with Desert Vipers keeping their neck in the game to secure the victory and occupy the top spot in the points table. In this article, the entire Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers match scorecard analysis is provided along with the scorecards, fall of wickets, team information, best performers, highlights of the match, and the takeaways.
Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers Match Overview
| Match Detail | Information |
| Match | Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers (GG vs DV) |
| Match Number | 8th Match |
| Tournament | International League T20 (ILT20) |
| Season | 2025–26 |
| Date | December 8, 2025 |
| Match Type | Night Match |
| Venue | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai |
| Toss | Desert Vipers won the toss and chose to field |
| Result | Match tied |
| Super Over Result | Desert Vipers won the Super Over |
| Final Score (GG) | 179/5 in 20 overs |
| Final Score (DV) | 179/9 in 20 overs |
| Player of the Match | Dan Lawrence (Desert Vipers) |
| Umpires | Gazi Sohel, Rod Tucker |
| TV Umpire | Paul Wilson |
| Match Referee | Simon Taufel |
| Points Awarded | Desert Vipers – 2 points, Gulf Giants – 0 points |
Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers Team Squad and Roles
Given below are the Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers Team Squads and Roles.
Gulf Giants Squad
| Player | Role |
| Moeen Ali (C) | All-rounder |
| Pathum Nissanka | Batter |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | WK-Batter |
| James Vince | Batter |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | Bowling All-rounder |
| Tom Moores | WK-Batter |
| Gerhard Erasmus | All-rounder |
| Liam Dawson | Bowling All-rounder |
| Mark Adair | Bowler |
| Nuwan Thushara | Bowler |
| Haider Razzaq | Bowler |
Desert Vipers Squad
| Player | Role |
| Sam Curran (C) | All-rounder |
| Dan Lawrence | Batter |
| Fakhar Zaman | Batter |
| Andries Gous | WK-Batter |
| Max Holden | Batter |
| Shimron Hetmyer | Batter |
| Hasan Nawaz | Batter |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | Bowler |
| Naseem Shah | Bowler |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler |
| David Payne | Bowler |
Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers Match Scorecard
First Innings – Gulf Giants (179/5 in 20 Overs)
Gulf Giants began their innings with positive intent, and the decision to attack early paid off handsomely. Pathum Nissanka looked in sublime touch from the very first over, picking gaps effortlessly and punishing loose deliveries. Rahmanullah Gurbaz played the perfect supporting role, rotating strike and finding the boundary when needed.
The opening partnership provided a solid platform, and even after the fall of Nissanka, the Giants never lost momentum. James Vince and Moeen Ali ensured stability in the middle overs, while Azmatullah Omarzai added late acceleration with clean hitting.
Although Desert Vipers pulled things back slightly with disciplined bowling towards the end, the Giants managed to push their total close to the 180 mark, which later proved to be a highly competitive score.
Gulf Giants – Full Batting Scorecard
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Pathum Nissanka | 56 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 193.10 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 41 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 132.25 |
| James Vince | 25 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 113.63 |
| Moeen Ali (c) | 11 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 20 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 153.84 |
| Tom Moores † | 10* | 8 | 0 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Gerhard Erasmus | 7* | 6 | 1 | 0 | 116.66 |
Extras: 9 (lb 4, w 5)
Total: 179/5 (20 overs, RR: 8.95)
Fall of Wickets – Gulf Giants
| Wicket | Score | Over |
| 1 | 73 | 6.6 |
| 2 | 127 | 13.3 |
| 3 | 128 | 13.5 |
| 4 | 159 | 16.6 |
| 5 | 165 | 18.2 |
Bowling – Desert Vipers
| Bowler | O | R | W | Econ |
| Naseem Shah | 4 | 37 | 0 | 9.25 |
| David Payne | 4 | 28 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Sam Curran | 3 | 33 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | 4 | 23 | 2 | 5.75 |
| Noor Ahmad | 4 | 47 | 2 | 11.75 |
| Dan Lawrence | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 |
Second Innings – Desert Vipers (179/9 in 20 Overs)
The Desert Vipers started off on a shaky path with early wickets putting a gun to the batting lineup. Fakhar Zaman and Andries Gous were sent home at a very low price and it was the middle order which had to redo the innings with so much care.
With a steady knock of 44, Captain Sam Curran led in front, and maintained the run rate needed in control. However, the standout knock came from Dan Lawrence, who smashed a brilliant 56 off just 31 deliveries. The fact that he was able to switch gears and locate limits at vital times turned the tide of the pursuit entirely around. Shimron Hetmyer, Hasan Nawaz, and Khuzaima Tanveer came out late to secure enough to take the match to the last ball. It took two hits to get the Vipers even on the final ball, and put the match into a Super Over.
Desert Vipers – Full Batting Scorecard
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Fakhar Zaman | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11.11 |
| Andries Gous † | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 122.22 |
| Max Holden | 15 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Sam Curran (c) | 44 | 36 | 1 | 3 | 122.22 |
| Dan Lawrence | 56 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 180.64 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 16 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 200.00 |
| Hasan Nawaz | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 275.00 |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 233.33 |
| Naseem Shah | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Vriitya Aravind | 4* | 3 | 0 | 0 | 133.33 |
Extras: 12 (b 2, nb 1, w 9)
Total: 179/9 (20 overs, RR: 8.95)
Fall of Wickets – Desert Vipers
| Wicket | Score | Over |
| 1 | 8 | 2.2 |
| 2 | 14 | 3.2 |
| 3 | 62 | 8.6 |
| 4 | 122 | 15.1 |
| 5 | 142 | 17.2 |
| 6 | 149 | 17.6 |
| 7 | 160 | 18.3 |
| 8 | 173 | 19.2 |
| 9 | 179 | 19.6 |
Bowling – Gulf Giants
| Bowler | O | R | W | Econ |
| Nuwan Thushara | 4 | 33 | 2 | 8.25 |
| Mark Adair | 4 | 36 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 4 | 32 | 4 | 8.00 |
| Haider Razzaq | 4 | 45 | 1 | 11.25 |
| Moeen Ali | 2 | 13 | 0 | 6.50 |
| Liam Dawson | 2 | 18 | 0 | 9.00 |
Super Over Summary
| Team | Runs | Result |
| Desert Vipers | 13/1 | Won |
| Gulf Giants | 9/0 | Lost |
Desert Vipers successfully defended 13 runs to win the match in the super over.
Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers Top Performers
| Category | Player | Team | Performance |
| Top Run Scorer (Match) | Dan Lawrence | DV | 56 runs |
| Top Run Scorer (GG) | Pathum Nissanka | GG | 56 runs |
| Best Bowler | Azmatullah Omarzai | GG | 4 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Dan Lawrence | DV | Match-winning knock & Super Over impact |
Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers Match Highlights
- Gulf Giants made a total 179 out of their 5 in 20 overs at the Dubai international cricket stadium.
- Pathum Nissanka hit an aggressive 56 runs off 29 balls to provide Gulf Giants with a breakneck start.
- The Gulf Giants had good backing in the middle overs by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and James Vince.
- The killing overs were controlled as Desert Vipers took the crucial wickets of Khuzaima Tanveer and Noor Ahmad.
- Desert Vipers did not start their chase well, losing early wickets, during the powerplay.
- Sam Curran led the innings with composure of 44 runs and got the Desert Vipers back on track.
- Dan Lawrence had a match-defining knock of 56 runs on 31 balls under the pressure.
- The game was a draw with Desert Vipers getting 179 in 900 balls.
- A draw resulted in a Super Over because there was a draw between the two teams.
- Desert Vipers made 13 runs in the Super Over placing a record of 14 of the super over.
- The best Gulf Giants could do with the Super Over was 9 runs.
- The match was won by Desert Vipers in the Super Over and two key points had been supplied.
- Dan Lawrence won Player of the Month due to his winning performance.
Conclusion
The reason why T20 cricket is so exciting is best exemplified by the Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers Match Scorecard. The two teams demonstrated an expert level of talent, depth, and perseverance which took the competition to the very limit. The calmness of Dan Lawrence under pressure was the difference, and this will leave Gulf Giants unlucky after such a good overall performance. The match will be remembered as one of the most thrilling ones throughout the ILT20 2025 season and has already left a high standard of upcoming matches.
FAQs
A1. The match was won in the Super Over by Desert Vipers.
A2. Dan Lawrence was man of the match.
A3. Both teams scored exactly 179 runs in their respective 20 overs.
A4. Azmatullah Omarzai became the leading wicket-taker by taking 4 wickets.
A5. The match was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Article Code: Adarsh 1125-557
Also Read: Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes Match Scorecard: Big Bash Final 2025
