Gulf Giants will lock horns with Desert Vipers in their fourth match of the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, January 22.
Led by their talismanic captain James Vince, the Giants have been one of the in-form teams alongside the Vipers.
The Adani Sportsline-owned Giants head into the game high on confidence after winning their three matches so far.
Under the tutelage of head coach Andy Flower, the Giants defeated the Dubai Capitals in back-to-back fixtures in the ongoing ILT20. While the Giants secured a six-wicket over the Capitals in Dubai, the Vince-led side followed it up by thrashing the same opponents by 101 runs at their home in Sharjah.
Earlier, the Giants started their ILT20 campaign with a six-wicket victory against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on January 15.
With six points from three matches, the Giants are currently placed second in the ILT20 standings.
For the Giants, captain Vince has led from the front, amassing 224 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 151.35. In the bowling department, Giants’ pacer Chris Jordan has been the standout bowler, having bagged six wickets at an impressive average of 12.17.
On the other hand, the Colin Munro-led Desert Vipers have been the most dominant team in the inaugural ILT20 so far.
The Vipers head into the upcoming fixture brimming with confidence after hammering the Knight Riders by 111 runs in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The Munro’s men had earlier defeated the same opposition by seven wickets on Wednesday.
Having commenced their ILT20 campaign with a seven-wicket win over the Sharjah Warriors, the Vipers are currently leading the ILT20 standings with six points from three matches that they have played so far.
Meanwhile, opener Alex Hales will be the player to watch out for the Vipers. The swashbuckling batter has been the leading run-scorer in ILT20 so far, having accumulated 257 runs in three matches, including smashing a blitzkrieg hundred against the Knight Riders in their previous fixture.
Considering the form of both the sides, we expect a close encounter between the Giants and the Vipers in Dubai on Sunday.