After sealing a playoff berth, Gulf Giants will be eyeing a top-two finish when they lock horns with Desert Vipers in an International League T20 (ILT20) 2023 match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, February 4.

Led by their talismanic captain James Vince, the Giants will head into the game brimming with confidence after beating MI Emirates by five wickets in a thrilling encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The Adani Sportsline-owned outfit rode on swashbuckling batter Shimron Hetmyer’s last ball six to chase down 140 and register a nail-biting victory.

Having registered five wins, one loss while two matches were abandoned, the Giants are currently placed second in the ILT20 2023 standings with 12 points from eight matches.

The Giants will once again bank on the likes of skipper Vince and in-form pacer Chris Jordan to pip the Vipers and confirm their place in the top two.

Vince has led from the front for the Giants in the ongoing T20 tournament, amassing 255 runs in six matches at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 144.06. Meanwhile, Jordan has been the leading wicket-taker in the inaugural ILT20, having already bagged 13 wickets in six matches at an economy of 7.26.

On the other hand, the Colin Munro-led Desert Vipers have already secured a top-two finish courtesy a 22-run win over Dubai Capitals on Thursday.

With seven wins and just two defeats, the Vipers are currently placed at the top of the standings with 14 points from nine matches.

For the Vipers, opener Alex Hales and leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga have been the standout players in the tournament so far. While Hales has been the leading run-scorer with 439 runs in nine matches, Hasaranga has claimed 11 wickets in seven matches at an economy of 6.92.

Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers head-to-head

Gulf Giants defeated Desert Vipers by five wickets in their previous meeting in the inaugural ILT20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on January 22.

Chasing a target of 196, twin fifties from Chris Lynn (71) and Hetmyer (70) helped the Giants chase down the total with three balls to spare. Earlier, Hales’ 57-ball 99 powered the Vipers to 195/4 in their allotted 20 overs.

Going by the form of both sides, we expect another close encounter in Dubai on Saturday.