Two New Zealand pacers will be captaining either of the sides in the Match No. 28 of the International League T20 (ILT20) 2025-26, as the Desert Vipers (DV) will be taking down the Sharjah Warriorz (SWR) on Friday, December 26
at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.The Sharjah Warriorz are placed right at the bottom of the table, and are fighting heavily for the last spot for the playoffs. They have an outside chance of making it to the top four, given they win this match and other results, too, go in their
favour. While their qualification looks very difficult, the side will want to leave no stone unturned from their side for the clash in Sharjah.
The Desert Vipers, on the other hand, have been the most dominating sides throughout the tournament, and have asserted the same courtesy of their seven wins from nine matches. They are currently poised at the first spot on the ILT20 2025-26 Points Table, making them a force to be reckoned with. Playing their last league stage match of the season, the Vipers will be looking to make the most out of it.
SWR vs DV — Match Details
| Match | Sharjah Warriorz vs Desert Vipers, Match 28, International League T20 2025-26 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Friday, December 26; 8:00 PM |
| Venue | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah |
| Broadcast and live-streaming details | Zee Network Channels and Zee5 (App and Website) |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium — Pitch Report
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah has very small boundary dimensions, meaning that even half-hearted strokes can go the distance. However, the slowness of the surface, and assistance to the spin bowlers, means that the batters may find it hard to time the ball perfectly. Opting to bat first after winning the toss can help in bringing a positive outcome.
SWR vs DV — Head-to-Head Record in T20s
| Matches Played | 6 |
| SWR Won | 1 |
| DV Won | 5 |
| Tied / No Results | 0 |
| First-ever fixture | 15 January 2023 |
| Most-recent fixture | 20 December 2025 |
SWR vs DV — Predicted Playing 11s
Sharjah Warriorz
Johnson Charles (wicketkeeper), Monank Patel, Tom Abell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sikandar Raza, James Rew, Ethan D'Souza, Adil Rashid, Tim Southee (captain), Wasim Akram, Taskin Ahmed
Impact Player: Harmeet Singh
Desert Vipers
Fakhar Zaman, Max Holden, Hasan Nawaz, Sam Curran, Dan Lawrence, Jason Roy, Tom Bruce (wicketkeeper), Sanjay Pahal, Lockie Ferguson (captain), Matiullah Khan, Qais Ahmed
Impact Player: David Payne
SWR vs DV — Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Sam Curran
Sam Curran, although known more for his bowling variations and accuracy, has been equally good with the bat for his side in the ongoing season. With over 260 runs in ILT20 2025-26 thus far, the star English all-rounder has become an extremely dependable guy with the bat for the Vipers. The side would bank on his services to win their final league stage encounter of the season, and enter the knockouts on a high.
Probable Best Bowler: Adil Rashid
Experienced leg-spinner Adil Rashid has long been a backbone of the Desert Vipers, and something similar is expected in the upcoming match as well. With 11 wickets in the ongoing season thus far, Rashid has made good use of the surfaces on offer in the UAE. On top of that, he has also been the most successful bowler for his side, finding breakthroughs at crucial times.
