MI Emirates Edge Sharjah Warriorz in Nail-Biting ILT20 Thriller

MI Emirates won one of the tense matches of the ILT20 2025 so far. They beat Sharjah Warriorz by just 4 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium after a close encounter. From the first ball to the last, the crowd was on its feet, and the game swung back and forth like a pendulum.

Sharjah Warriorz chose to field first, and MI Emirates got off to a good start. Muhammad Waseem was quick as he smashed 39 off 29 balls, punishing anything loose. Jonny Bairstow also joined the party with 37 from 24, timing the ball beautifully. 

Tom Banton added 32 and kept the scoreboard moving while the fans cheered and enjoyed every moment of the game. It looked like MI Emirates would reach a massive total, but then Adil Rashid came on and turned everything upside down. His 3-32 suddenly changed the momentum, and MI Emirates started wobbling.

The middle order looked under pressure, and the stadium fell quiet for a moment. But then Romario Shepherd stepped in, and the atmosphere changed. The West Indian smashed 31 not out off 10 balls, sending the ball flying for four towering sixes. By the end, MI Emirates had 185/8, a total that looked defendable but left the fans biting their nails.

Sharjah Warriorz' openers ran hard, and Sikandar Raza looked unstoppable. He scored a brilliant fifty, finding gaps all over the field. The Warriors kept the scoreboard ticking, and when they needed 35 runs off the last 4.5 overs, it felt like a classic T20 finish was coming.

Then came the final overs, where MI Emirates’ bowlers didn’t let the Warriors get easy runs. Every delivery mattered, and Romario Shepherd, who had already starred with the bat, bowled the final over. He bowled yorkers, slower balls with perfect line and length, and denied every boundary the Warriors needed. The last ball came, and Sharjah Warriorz ended on 181/7, just short.