The International League T20 (ILT20) 2026 Final witnessed a dominating victory by the Desert Vipers over MI Emirates to clinch their first title.
During the match, a heated altercation took place between West Indies veteran (and franchise captain) Kieron Pollard, and Pakistani fast bowler, Naseem Shah.
After a dot ball, Pollard appeared to have been irked by Shah’s rather animated follow-through. The two came up-close and exchanged words before being separated by players and an intervening umpire. Check it out:
Sparks fly in the middle! 🧨
The Final brings out many emotions, catching Naseem Shah & Kieron Pollard in the middle of it. ⚔️#Final #DVvMIE #DPWorldILT20 #WhereTheWorldPlays #AllInForCricket pic.twitter.com/PGUsSl3PaT
— International League T20 (@ILT20Official) January 4, 2026
Pollard was MI Emirates’ second-top scorer on the day, as the side failed to chase the target set by the Vipers in the ILT20 Final.Interestingly, it was eventually Naseem Shah who would dismiss the West Indian all-rounder.
Vipers Dominate MI Emirates To Clinch Maiden ILT20 Title
Batting first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the ILT20 2026 Final, the Desert Vipers, led by Sam Curran, posted a challenging 183-run target on the board.
While their openers went out cheaply, the skipper’s 74 and Max Holden’s 41 added crucial runs in the middle.
The score, albeit chasable by modern T20 cricket standards, turned out to be too much for the MI Emirates. Their openers, Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher were dismissed on 26 and 10 runs, followed by Tom Banton on just 7.
Shakib al Hasan managed to score 36, emerging as the team’s top scorer, while Kieron Pollard hit a run-a-ball 28. Interestingly, it was eventually Naseem Shah who would dismiss the West Indian all-rounder. He took 3 wickets overall.
A string of low scores followed, and the chasing side was dimissed on 136 runs in 18.3 overs, which meant a very comfortable 46-run victory for the Desert Vipers.
