Shayan Jahangir and Jordan Cox struck commanding half-centuries as defending champions Dubai Capitals sealed a playoff berth with a convincing six-wicket victory over Sharjah Warriorz at the Dubai International Stadium on Christmas Eve.Chasing a modest 135, the Capitals cruised to the target with ease. Jahangir set the tempo early, while Cox anchored the chase with an unbeaten 61 off 50 balls, laced with six fours and a six. His knock earned him the green belt and took him to the top of the tournament’s run charts.
After the early loss of Sediqullah Atal, Jahangir and Cox stitched together a decisive 76-run stand. Sikandar Raza briefly pulled the Warriorz back into the contest with two quick wickets in the 14th over, dismissing Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi, but the damage had already been done. Taskin Ahmed removed Leus du Plooy late, though Cox calmly finished the chase with five balls to spare.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Earlier, Dubai Capitals’ bowlers delivered a disciplined performance to restrict Sharjah Warriorz to 134/8. Haider Ali and Waqar Salamkheil claimed two wickets apiece, with Haider conceding just 13 runs in his four overs. David Willey, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi chipped in with a wicket each.
Shayan Jahangir in action for the Dubai Capitals
Sharjah’s innings never gained momentum despite a steady knock from Johnson Charles. A sharp run-out by Willey removed Monank Patel early, while Jahangir impressed behind the stumps to stump Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Late contributions from Adil Rashid and Harmeet Singh lifted the Warriorz to a competitive but insufficient total.Player of the Match Jordan Cox praised Jahangir’s aggressive intent. “It was quite tough against spin, but when the seamers came on, we tried to put them under pressure. Jahangir was very impressive. We’ve been encouraging him to be aggressive, and it was great to watch from the other end. For me, it was about not leaving it to the next man,” he said.
Haider Ali of Dubai Capitals celebrates the wicket of Tom Kohler-Cadmore
Sharjah skipper Tim Southee admitted his own over proved costly but insisted their playoff hopes remain alive.“My Over towards was defining. We had to keep taking wickets to be in with a chance. The nature of the wickets is keeping sides in it for long. Not over for us. One game left, we win that and give ourselves a chance.”
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Brief Scores Sharjah Warriorz: 134/8 in 20 overs (Johnson Charles 43, Monank Patel 24; Haider Ali 2/13, Waqar Salamkheil 2/29) Dubai Capitals: 138/4 in 19.1 overs (Shayan Jahangir 51, Jordan Cox 61 not out; Sikandar Raza 2/15)
