Desert Vipers (DV) cross swords with MI Emirates (MIE) in Qualifier 1 of the International League T20 (ILT20) 2025-26 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 30.
The Vipers finished at the top of the points table after the round-robin stage. In 10 matches, they won eight and lost two. They will be coming into Qualifier 1 on the back of a five-wicket win against Sharjah Warriorz.
On the other hand, MI Emirates sealed the No. 2 spot after winning seven and losing three matches in the league
phase. The Kieron Pollard-led side are on a five-match winning streak.
Desert Vipers and MI Emirates have faced each other twice in this season so far. They have one win apiece from the two meetings.
Match Details
| Match | Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates, Qualifier 1, ILT20 2025-26 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Tuesday, December 30; 8:00 PM |
| Venue | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| Broadcast and Live Streaming Details | Zee Network Channels and Zee5 (App and Website) |
Sheikh Zayed Stadium Pitch Report
10 matches have been played so far at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The average first-innings total has been around 158. Five games have been won by teams batting first, while chasing teams have emerged victorious on five occasions. The captain who wins the toss could opt to bowl first to know the score they are chasing.
DV vs MIE Head-to-Head Record in T20s
| Matches Played | 08 |
| Won by Desert Vipers | 04 |
| Won by MI Emirates | 04 |
| Tied | — |
| No Result | — |
| First-ever Fixture | January 24, 2023 |
| Most-recent Fixture | December 21, 2025 |
DV vs MIE Predicted Playing 11s
Desert Vipers (DV):
Fakhar Zaman, Andries Gous (WK), Max Holden, Sam Curran (C), Dan Lawrence, Jason Roy, Hasan Nawaz, Vritya Aravind, Khuzaima Tanveer, Naseem Shah, Qais Ahmad.
Impact Player: David Payne
MI Emirates (MIE):
Muhammad Waseem, Dan Mousley, Tom Banton (WK), Kieron Pollard (C), Romario Shepherd, Shakib Al Hasan, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, AM Ghazanfar, Zahoor Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Arab Gul Momand.
Impact Player: Andre Fletcher
DV vs MIE Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter — Max Holden
Max Holden is the leading run-getter in ILT20 2025-26. The southpaw has amassed 318 runs in 10 innings at an average of 39.75 and a strike rate of 126.19. He has notched up three 50-plus scores and will want to make a strong impact in Tuesday's fixture.
Probable Best Bowler — Khuzaima Tanveer
Khuzaima Tanveer has been one of the standout bowlers this season. In nine matches, he has accounted for 14 wickets at an average of 17.35 and a strike rate of 13.71. He has bowled the difficult overs inside the powerplay as well as in the backend, but his economy reads an impressive 7.59.
