A 2025–26 International League T20 game occurred on December 5th at The Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The Desert Vipers won the game against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, winning by four runs after electing to bat first and scoring 175 runs with eight batsmen out. Shimron Hetmyer was named Player of the Match after making 48 runs off only 25 balls. The Knight Riders attempted to meet the target, with Alex Hales scoring 53 and Andre Russell scoring 36, but the team finished at 171 runs for six wickets, just four runs behind the target.
Read further to know all the details of the Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Match Scorecard.
Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Match Details
| Match Details | DV vs ADKR- 4th Match- International League T20, 2025-26 |
| Stadium | Shahraj Cricket Stadium |
| Match Date | 5 December 2025 |
| Toss | Desert Vipers elected to field first |
| Series | International League T20 |
| Season | 2025/26 |
| Player Of The Match | Shimron Hetmyer |
| Umpires | Asif Iqbal, Wayne Knights |
| TV Umpire | Paul Wilson |
| Reserve Umpire | Ahmad Shah Pakteen |
| Match Referee | Roshan Mahanama |
Desert Vipers: Team Overview
The team named Desert Vipers began as an organisation in 2022 through ownership by Lancer Capital LLC in connection with Avram Glazer. The Vipers compete in the ILT20 League, with their home base being the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Lockie Ferguson is the current Captain of the Vipers. The Vipers had a very successful season in 2025, securing wins in every game they played during the League stage, and thus finished second overall in the League standings. Some of the best players on the Vipers roster include Sam Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shimron Hetmyer and Naseem Shah.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Team Name | Desert Vipers |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Owner | Avram Glazer |
| Home Ground | Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
| Captain (2025) | Lockie Ferguson |
| Head Coach | James Foster |
| Player Position | Player Name |
| 1 | Fakhar Zaman |
| 2 | Andries Gous (wk) |
| 3 | Max Holden |
| 4 | Sam Curran (c) |
| 5 | Dan Lawrence |
| 6 | Shimron Hetmyer |
| 7 | Hasan Nawaz |
| 8 | Khuzaima Tanveer |
| 9 | Qais Ahmad |
| 10 | Naseem Shah |
| 11 | Noor Ahmad |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Team Overview
The Knight Riders Group is the owner of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, a team that was established in 2022, with its home venue being the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. They compete in the ILT20 competition and include multiple players on their roster, including Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. The team’s manager and coach for the 2025 season have not been indicated in the current holdings information. In 2025, during league play, they placed 6th in the tournament.
| Category | Details |
| Team Name | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Owner | Knight Riders Group |
| Home Grounds | Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium |
| Captain (2025) | Jason Holder |
| Head Coach | Bharathi Arun |
| Player Position | Player Name |
| 1 | Phil Salt |
| 2 | Alex Hales |
| 3 | Alishan Sharafu |
| 4 | Liam Livingstone |
| 5 | Sherfane Rutherford |
| 6 | Andre Russell |
| 7 | Unmukt Chand † |
| 8 | Sunil Narine (c) |
| 9 | George Garton |
| 10 | Ajay Kumar |
| 11 | Olly Stone |
Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Match Scorecard
The match between the Desert Vipers and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders has been very exciting. Look at the detailed scorecard:
Desert Vipers – 1st Innings (Batting)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Fakhar Zaman | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 133.33 |
| Andries Gous (wk) | 17 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 188.89 |
| Max Holden | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.67 |
| Sam Curran (c) | 19 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 126.67 |
| Dan Lawrence | 35 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 109.38 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 48 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 192 |
| Hasan Nawaz | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | 31 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 258.33 |
| Qais Ahmad | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| Naseem Shah | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 200 |
| Extras | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 175-8 (19.3 Overs, RR: 8.97) |
Fall Of Wickets
| Batter | Score | Over |
| Andries Gous | 22-1 | 2.2 |
| Fakhar Zaman | 32-2 | 3.5 |
| Max Holden | 34-3 | 4.1 |
| Sam Curran | 66-4 | 9.2 |
| Dan Lawrence | 134-5 | 15.4 |
| Hasan Nawaz | 134-6 | 15.6 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 138-7 | 16.4 |
| Qais Ahmad | 145-8 | 17.3 |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – 1st Innings (Bowling)
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | ECO |
| Olly Stone | 3.3 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 13.7 |
| Ajay Kumar | 4 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 5.2 |
| Sunil Narine (c) | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 8.8 |
| Liam Livingstone | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.5 |
| Piyush Chawla | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 7.3 |
| Andre Russell | 3 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 11 |
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – 2nd Innings (Batting)
| Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Phil Salt | 18 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 120 |
| Alex Hales | 53 | 37 | 4 | 3 | 143.24 |
| Alishan Sharafu | 25 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 131.57 |
| Liam Livingstone | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Sherfane Rutherford | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Andre Russell | 36 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 156.52 |
| Unmukt Chand † | 18 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 138.46 |
| Sunil Narine (c) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Extras | 13 | (b 4, lb 3, w 6) | |||
| Total | 171/6 | 20 Ov (RR: 8.55) | |||
Fall of Wickets
| Batter | Score | Over |
| Phil Salt | 39-1 | 5.1 |
| Alishan Sharafu | 102-2 | 10.6 |
| Alex Hales | 108-3 | 12.3 |
| Sherfane Rutherford | 116-4 | 13.3 |
| Liam Livingstone | 122-5 | 14.4 |
| Unmukt Chand | 167-6 | 19.1 |
Desert Vipers – 2nd Innings (Bowling)
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
| Naseem Shah | 4 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Curran | 4 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 8.5 | 3 | 0 |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | 3 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Qais Ahmad | 4 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 | 1 | 0 |
| Noor Ahmad | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 8.75 | 1 | 0 |
| Dan Lawrence | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Match Scorecard Analysis
The sparring contest at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on December 5, 2025, ended with a narrow, thrilling victory for the Desert Vipers as they clinched a four-run win against ADKR. The Vipers managed to set a formidable target. In their innings, they amassed a very commendable total of 175 runs. Although ADKR struggled to complete the chase, they amassed 171 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
The Toss & Most Valuable Player: Desert Vipers had the honour of winning the toss and chose to bowl first. Shimron Hetmyer (the Desert Vipers MVP) provided his team with exceptional numbers during this match, finishing with 48 runs scored off 25 balls at an impressive strike rate of 192 in a winning effort.
Batting for Desert Vipers: Shimron Hetmyer’s quick-fire 48 runs off 25 balls were instrumental in driving the Vipers’ total to 175 runs. In 19.3 overs, the Vipers recorded a total of eight wickets lost.
Batting for ADKR: ADKR responded strongly in this match with efforts from Alex Hales (53 runs) and Chris Jordan (36 runs scored off 23 balls). These two players formed a partnership that kept ADKR in contention until they finished with a score of 171 runs in their 20 overs.
Leading Names in Bowling: Ajay Kumar was the top bowler for the Desert Vipers with three wickets for 19 runs. Jerome Narine supported Kumar with two wickets for 36 runs, and Stuart Stone contributed with one wicket.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Vs Desert Vipers Match Results
the match between Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Vs Desert Vipers Match, played on 05 December, 2025, and in that Abu Dhabi Knight Riders started batting first and make total 171 by loosing 6 Wickets (171/6). and in thhe reply, Desert Vipers scored 175 Runs by loosing 8 wickets, and in the match shimron Hetmyer is the man of the match, who has scored 48 runs in 25 balls.
Final Verdict
The close finish to this thrilling match highlights just how close the competition in T20 Cricket can be. The Desert Vipers were able to perform under pressure, with key contributions from Shimron Hetmyer’s batting and the Vipers’ effective bowling unit contributing to their victory. The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders also demonstrated tremendous skill and determination whilst attempting to chase the target; however missed some opportunities. The Vipers earned four points and moved up the standings with their victory, laying the foundation for an exciting ILT20 tournament with plenty of high-quality matches and entertainment still to come.
Refresh Date: December 22, 2025
