The 16th game of the International League T20 2025 crashed a thrilling game at Sharjah Cricket stadium, Sharjah Warriorz beat the Gulf giants by 11 runs in a tense night game. Disciplined batting and intelligent bowling rotations and an exemplary death-overs performance was displayed by the match that eventually determined the outcome. Sharjah Warriorz had a competitive total of 174/6 with a classy inning of Tom Abell and late charge by Dwaine Pretorius. In response, Gulf Giants collapsed too early and was not recovered completely, despite Moeen Ali and Azmatullah Omarzai. The game swung heavily on the bowling of Matheesha Pathirana whose speed and precision destroyed the chase of the Giants.
This article gives the complete Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants match scorecard innings by innings analysis, fall of wickets, bowling analysis, top performers, match highlights, and main observations of this ILT20 2025 game.
Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants Match Details
| Match Detail | Information |
| Match | Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants (SW vs GG) |
| Match Number | 16th Match |
| Tournament | International League T20 |
| Season | 2025–26 |
| Date | December 15, 2025 |
| Venue | Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
| Toss | Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field |
| Result | Sharjah Warriorz won by 11 runs |
| Player of the Match | Matheesha Pathirana (SW) |
| Cricinfo MVP | Tom Abell (SW) |
| Points | Sharjah Warriorz – 2, Gulf Giants – 0 |
| Match Type | Night Match (T20) |
Pitch Conditions – Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium provided a fair playing surface that was suitable in the SW vs GG ILT20 match. In the initial overs, the batting was simplified as the bouncing and the pace were good and the batters could play through the line. As the game went on, the bowlers that varied with slower balls and yorkers were successful particularly in the death overs. In general, it was a competitive T20 wicket in which it was difficult and hard to defend a score of around 170.
| Factor | Details |
| Pitch Nature | Balanced |
| Batting Support | Good early |
| Bowling Help | Variations effective |
| Bounce | True |
| Outfield | Fast |
| Par Score | 165–180 |
Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants Match Overview
The ILT20 game between the Sharjah Warriorz and the Gulf Giants happened to be a closely-contested one at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Sharjah Warriorz took advantage of their batting performance to record a competitive score of 174 runs, with a calm and collected performance by Tom Abell and a strong conclusion by Dwaine Pretorius. In response, Gulf Giants had a hard time initially after losing major top-order wickets and thus, they always found themselves pressurized whenever they were chasing. In spite of the efforts of Moeen Ali and Azmatullah Omarzai who attempted to rescue the innings, a disciplined bowling particularly in the death overs served Sharjah Warriorz well in defending their total and emerged the winners by 11 runs.
Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants matchh scorecard
First Innings – Sharjah Warriorz (174/6 in 20 Overs)
Sharjah Warriorz began with small steps, and they lost Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Johnson Charles had intentions but collapsed soon hence leaving the side to stabilize. That steadiness was in the person of Tom Abell, who stood firm at the innings by a timely and smooth stroke.
Abell was well backed by James Rew and the two of them switch strikes in a productive manner and focused on loose deliveries. The mid overs were not explosive but rather controlled, but the platform had the ability to give a good finish. Dwaine Pretorius struck boundaries with ease in the last few overs creating a powerful cameo, and taking the total to over 170. It was his input that made sure that Warriorz had run enough on the board to compete with the Giants.
Sharjah Warriorz Batting Scorecard
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Tom Kohler-Cadmore | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 85.71 |
| Johnson Charles | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Tom Abell | 68 | 41 | 5 | 3 | 165.85 |
| James Rew (wk) | 39 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 118.18 |
| Sikandar Raza (c) | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Dwaine Pretorius | 28 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 215.38 |
| Ethan D’Souza | 8* | 5 | 1 | 0 | 160.00 |
Extras: 4
Total: 174/6 (20 overs, RR: 8.70)
Fall of Wickets – Sharjah Warriorz
| Wicket | Score | Over |
| 1 | 14 | 2.1 |
| 2 | 48 | 5.3 |
| 3 | 119 | 14.2 |
| 4 | 137 | 16.5 |
| 5 | 154 | 18.1 |
| 6 | 174 | 19.6 |
Bowling – Gulf Giants
| Bowler | O | R | W | Econ |
| Chris Wood | 4 | 26 | 2 | 6.50 |
| Matthew Forde | 4 | 40 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Fred Klaassen | 3 | 37 | 1 | 12.33 |
| Liam Dawson | 2 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
| Moeen Ali | 4 | 33 | 0 | 8.25 |
| Aayan Afzal Khan | 3 | 22 | 1 | 7.33 |
Second Innings – Gulf Giants (163/9 in 20 Overs)
Gulf Giants started off with a tragic omen with Pathum Nissaka and James Vince being dismissed at an early stage and chasing 175. Kyle Mayers was next in line, and the Giants were standing at 38-4 against in the powerplay. Moeen Ali and Azmatullah Omarzai tried to re-establish the innings with a tentative alliance. Although Omarzai gave intent to attack, the pressure of required run rate compelled to take dangerous shots. This was taken by regular wickets in the middle overs to make sure that the Giants never had any control.
The turning point of the match was the spell of Matheesha Pathirana. His pace, yorkers and accuracy broke the lower middle order and rendered the target impractical. Gulf Giants in its late running, was not able to compete with the finish of 163 at 9, which was 11 runs behind.
Gulf Giants Batting Scorecard
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Pathum Nissanka | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) | 30 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 200.00 |
| James Vince (c) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kyle Mayers | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Moeen Ali | 45 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 109.75 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 41 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 157.69 |
| Matthew Forde | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Asif Khan | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Liam Dawson | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Aayan Afzal Khan | 13* | 5 | 1 | 1 | 260.00 |
| Fred Klaassen | 5* | 3 | 0 | 0 | 166.66 |
Extras: 8
Total: 163/9 (20 overs, RR: 8.15)
Fall of Wickets – Gulf Giants
| Wicket | Score | Over |
| 1 | 11 | 1.3 |
| 2 | 23 | 2.6 |
| 3 | 38 | 3.6 |
| 4 | 38 | 4.3 |
| 5 | 117 | 14.3 |
| 6 | 124 | 15.2 |
| 7 | 135 | 16.3 |
| 8 | 143 | 17.6 |
| 9 | 152 | 19.2 |
Bowling – Sharjah Warriorz
| Bowler | O | R | W | Econ |
| Taskin Ahmed | 4 | 34 | 1 | 8.50 |
| Wasim Akram | 4 | 34 | 3 | 8.50 |
| Matheesha Pathirana | 4 | 19 | 3 | 4.75 |
| Adil Rashid | 3 | 27 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Sikandar Raza | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14.00 |
| Dwaine Pretorius | 4 | 35 | 2 | 8.75 |
Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants match Top Performers
| Category | Player | Team | Performance |
| Top Scorer | Tom Abell | SW | 68 (41) |
| Best Bowler | Matheesha Pathirana | SW | 3/19 |
| Best All-round Impact | Dwaine Pretorius | SW | 28 runs & 2 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Matheesha Pathirana | SW | Match-winning spell |
Sharjah warriorz vs Gulf Giants Team Squads
Sharjah Warriorz Squad – Role Wise
| Player Name | Role |
| Tom Abell | Top-order Batter |
| Tom Kohler-Cadmore | Opening Batter |
| Johnson Charles | Opening Batter |
| James Rew | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Sikandar Raza (C) | Batting All-rounder |
| Dwaine Pretorius | Bowling All-rounder |
| Ethan D’Souza | Middle-order Batter |
| Adil Rashid | Leg-spin Bowler |
| Taskin Ahmed | Fast Bowler |
| Wasim Akram | Left-arm Fast Bowler |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Fast Bowler (Death Overs Specialist) |
| Harmeet Singh | Spin Bowler |
Gulf Giants Squad – Role Wise
| Player Name | Role |
| James Vince (C) | Top-order Batter |
| Pathum Nissanka | Opening Batter |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Kyle Mayers | Batting All-rounder |
| Moeen Ali | Spin All-rounder |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | Fast-bowling All-rounder |
| Asif Khan | Middle-order Batter |
| Liam Dawson | Spin All-rounder |
| Chris Wood | Fast Bowler |
| Matthew Forde | Fast Bowler |
| Fred Klaassen | Left-arm Fast Bowler |
| Aayan Afzal Khan | Spin Bowler |
Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants match Highlights
- Sharjah Warriorz managed a high total of 174 for 6 in response to the batting first.
- Tom Abell scored a well, constructed 68, holding the Warriorz batsmen together.
- James Rew helped the team with his steady run rate in the middle overs.
- In the death overs, Dwaine Pretorius’s quick 28 runs helped to boost the score.
- Gulf Giants issue their chase four wickets down the powerplay
- Moeen Ali and Azmatullah Omarzai partnership was crucial to keep the chase going.
- Matheesha Pathirana was outstanding with a match, winning spree of 3 for 19.\
- Wasim Akram also stepped up with the wicket, taking, helping to ease the pressure both points.
- Sharjah Warriorz held the Giants to 163 for 9 in their over 20s.
- Sharjah Warriorz defeated the Giants by 11 runs earning two desirable points.
Conclusion
In this ILT20 2025 match, Sharjah Warriorz offered a well-organized and strong performance to win over Gulf Giants. They showed that they could handle the pressure of their batting and bowling plans.
The highlight of the match was the outstanding spell of Matheesha Pathirana, and the pillar to victory was set by Tom Abell, his leadership and batting. This victory meant good points and momentum to Sharjah Warriorz and left Gulf Giants to contemplate an expensive top-order collapse.
FAQs
Sharjah Warriorz won by 11 runs.
Matheesha Pathirana was the player of the match.
The overall score of Sharjah was 174 for 6 in 20 overs.
Tom Abell with 68 runs was highest scorer of the match.
The match was played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
