UNSTOPPABLE RAZA
CHEVRONS captain, Sikandar Raza underlined his status as a world-class cricketer in the shortest version of the game, twenty-over cricket, after clinching the Most Valuable Player in the lucrative International League T20 tournament in the UAE on Saturday night.
All-rounder Raza, who claimed a wicket for 27 runs in three overs, was a losing finalist as his Dubai Capitals lost by 45 runs against the MI Emirates in the second edition of the DP World ILT20 Season 2 in front of a packed Dubai International Stadium.
The MI Emirates set a record score of 208 for 3 in 20 overs while, in reply, Raza’s Dubai Capitals could muster only 163 for 7 in 20 overs with Trent Boult and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth bagging two wickets each.
MI Emirates received the winners’ prize of a whopping US$700,000 while the runners-up received US$300,000.
Sikandar Raza, who has played many match-winning knocks for Capitals, scored just 10 runs before hitting Viyaskanth to Waseem at deep mid-wicket.
Capitals, faced with the challenge of scoring 100 runs in 41 balls, saw Waqar Salamkheil remove Billings stumped by Pooran for a fighting 40. Trent Boult then struck twice to remove Rovman Powell caught by Waseem at deep midwicket and clean bowl Jason Holder for 24 to ensure his team’s victory.
On being named the tournament’s best player, Raza said:
“Quite a proud and humbling moment for me. It has been a journey, it is the reward for a lot of sacrifice, hard work, and pain. I just want to say thank you to all those who have prayed for me in these last two years, especially during my illness.
“I like to be in the position where the skipper can bank on me to bowl four overs every time. Thirteen wickets in the tournament feels like the hard work is coming through; we can only get better.”
Raza won the award ahead of some global stars including Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder, Wanindu Hasaranga and Carlos Brathwaite.