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The 1-run heartbreak from the other night has successfully been avenged, in style. It’s courtesy a complete performance, with a good batting start, a solid target, a clinical bowling performance. Our 2025 campaign, in a déjà vu to 2024, is off and running. Let’s go over some big moments..&nbsp;The 109-run entertainment&nbsp;Tom Banton and skipper Nicholas Pooran were having their share of fun. Banton was the more measured of the two, happy to play a bit of a second fiddle, but still amassing a 52-ball 74. Nicky P was being Nicky P. He was on a rampage, with two fours and six sixes in his 29-ball knock of 59. Despite a slight late collapse, MI Emirates did well to get to 187/7 in their 20 overs.&nbsp;The Hope-filled show for the CapitalsIt was a chase of two halves for the Dubai Capitals. Shai Hope alone got 101 off 59 balls, smashing a wonderful century and at one point looking like taking the game away from us. The rest of the batters along with the extras could only get 60 off 61 balls. That’s where our bowlers were excellent right through, refusing to ease up on the pressure.&nbsp;The stuff of dreams – Farooqui and his yorkers&nbsp;The Capitals needed 51 runs to win off 24 balls. Seven wickets remained Enter Fazalhaq Farooqi. With two pin-point yorkers right at the base of off-stump, Sikandar Raza and Dasun Shanaka were sent packing, and MI Emirates firmly had the game in their kitty.&nbsp;Right then, we’re officially on track and among the points. Let’s keep bringing them home..

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MIEvDC report: Banton, Pooran, Farooqi put us on the winning train

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A nice happy day for the MI #OneFamily with two comfortable wins at Cape Town and in Abu Dhabi. Tom Banton, one of the architects of MI Emirates’ 26-run win over the Dubai Capitals, with his 52-ball 74, was at the post-match press conference sharing his thoughts. Excerpts..&nbsp;On acing the conditions tonightI felt like I live here (laughs). It is a good wicket tonight, I realized that early. I also realized I had to give myself a chance which I didn’t do the other night. We just spoke about taking it deep and keep rotating the strike, and put it away when the ball is in your area. It is still T20 cricket at the end of the day and you have to take risks. Some days you put it away and some days you don’t. But a good day for MI Emirates.&nbsp;Discussions while batting with PooranHe just said keep taking it deep. He spoke to me this morning and just said, ‘go do your thing’. I have played a lot of T20 cricket now and have a better understanding of how I want to approach my innings.&nbsp;Thoughts on the wicket on offerThe wicket was beautiful tonight. Probably one of the best I have played on in a long time. It’s been a good day and hopefully it continues.&nbsp;On the ILT20 and the different players playingIt’s great to get guys from all over the world come together. MI Emirates have had such a good team which is why they won last year. You meet new people, new culture, new experiences, you are learning all the time. The dressing room is good. I am new to it so I am a bit quiet at the moment. But everyone is very welcoming and it is a great franchise to play for.&nbsp;Whether Shai Hope’s century made the team nervousIt could have gone either way. Shai Hope played beautifully and he was unlucky to not be on the winning side. That (Fazalhaq) Farooqui over where he took two wickets and went for just one or two runs really changed the game. Everyone did really well.&nbsp;On the few missed catches on the field&nbsp;Sometimes the game fades away slightly. It is something we speak about and pride ourselves in. We are going to keep training hard and hopefully it changes.&nbsp;

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“Pooran told me this morning to ‘just do my thing’”: Tom Banton

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It’s the perfect fixture we could’ve asked for at this point. After travelling to Dubai and ending up on the wrong side of the result in the last-ball finish over the Capitals, we have the opportunity to fix things immediately. An opportunity to put the heartbreak behind us.&nbsp;We are in Abu Dhabi, welcoming the Dubai Capitals this time around. Result aside, the game last night was a proper thriller. It had everything, from top class bowling courtesy Fazalhaq Farooqi, to some serious counter-attacking from Nicholas Pooran, to a rearguard act by Akeal Hosein, to Kieron Pollard nearly, so very nearly, finishing it off in style. Let’s hope for something similar, only, with us being on the right side of the result at the end.&nbsp;What: MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals&nbsp;When: January 13, 2025 | 18:30 GST, 20:00 ISTWhere: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi&nbsp;What to expect: Another fair contest between bat and ball. With the temperatures on the lower side and the ball nipping around, expect our seamers to continue calling the shots.&nbsp;

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Match 2 | MIEvDC preview: An immediate return fixture! Let’s avenge the 1-run heartbreak

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The pain is real. A brilliant fifer in the opening game of the season, but a tough loss at the end. Fazalhaq Farooqi ended the match against the Dubai Capitals with mixed feelings. He came out to speak to the media in the post-match press conference, and spoke about his skills, his bowling plans, the conditions. Excerpts..&nbsp;On his brilliant bowling spellFirstly, I’d like to thank God. I had a good start to the tournament, but sadly we lost the game. We will come back strong. My target isn’t to only take wickets. I look at the wicket first and then look to attack the stumps accordingly. My plan was simple, to bowl as many dot balls as possible. I got success just doing that.&nbsp;On everyone backing Kieron Pollard to finish the game&nbsp;We were hoping for the same. Such is cricket, sometimes people don’t defend even 20 runs, sometimes they defend even six runs. But we will come back.&nbsp;On his bowling plans at the startWhen Akeal Hosein bowled the first over, I asked him if it was swinging, and he said yes. When I bowled the first ball, it swung, and then I just looked to keep it simple. I just looked to swing the ball.&nbsp;Thoughts on the target for MI Emirates at the halfway markI knew it wouldn’t be easy. The wicket wasn’t easy and even good batters in their side couldn’t score runs easily. I knew we could win the game if we played sensibly. Unfortunately, we lost four wickets in the powerplay.&nbsp;On playing in Abu DhabiThe conditions in January in the UAE tend to help swing bowlers. So my focus is just to look for support and back my skills to perform well for my team. &nbsp;

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“This is cricket…but we will come back strongly”: Farooqi on last-ball loss after brilliant spell

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Kieron Pollard couldn’t believe it. He just stood, stunned. MI Emirates, after a tough start, had fought back superbly to the chase under control, before the Capitals pulled it back a bit to leave it at six runs being needed off the final ball to win. Farhan Khan ran in, big Polly swung, hard, over mid-wicket like he usually does, and found the gap as well perfectly. Alas, the elevation wasn’t quite there, with the ball falling just short of the boundary ropes.&nbsp;Sadly, it slips awayIt's a tough loss to take. We really had the game in control with Nicholas Pooran and Pollard batting out there and the equation coming down to 19 runs being needed off 18 balls. Pooran them smashed a boundary off the Gulbadin Naib’s second ball in the 18th over to bring it under a-run-a-ball. But he fell next ball, Alzarri Joseph fell a couple of balls later, Olly Stone bowled a brilliant 19th over where he gave away just one run, leaving Polly too much to get in the final over. He tried, he fought, but it wasn’t to be.&nbsp;Nicky P leads the recovery in Nicky P styleHe walked in with the team in trouble at 17/3. It soon became 22/4. But he counter-attacked. Not only did he stick around, he did it with runs scored at a quick clip with a 40-ball 61. He found good company in Akeal Hosein, who was happy to play second fiddle. Together, they put MI Emirates in control and got the chase on track.&nbsp;Farooqi leads the parade!The match, and indeed the season, were off to a perfect start, with a maiden over bowled by Akeal. Fazalhaq Farooqi then took over, never allowed the Dubai Capitals’ batters to settle, and kept plugging away, ending up with stunning figures of 5/16, while keeping the Capitals down to 133 in their 20 overs.Don’t worry, folks. This is just the start. Remember, in 2024 as well, we lost our first game. Surely you don’t need reminding of what happened after that. While it might be a difficult pill to swallow, let’s quickly move on .. &nbsp;

DCvMIE report: INCHES SHORT, LITERALLY!! Oh, a 1-run heartbreak!

By MI Emirates Media

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