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Doesn’t matter which format, trust Chris Woakes to deliver the early breakthroughs. Defending a slightly under-par score, he got MI Emirates to the perfect start with two quick wickets. But Pathum Nissanka, Moeen Ali and Azmatullah Omarzai rebuilt rather well to get the Gulf Giants home in the chase of 164 with over five overs to spare. Here he is, sharing his thoughts on the game at the post-match press conference. Excerpts..&nbsp;Thoughts on the way the game went&nbsp;We didn’t get as many runs as we’d have liked. It was a tricky surface to begin with when we batted, so it was important to get wickets upfront when we bowled. But we didn’t capitalize on that. That was probably the problem. We had them two down early but then we didn’t really capitalize after that. I suppose that is where we just let the game slip and they got away from us on what turned into a good surface when the dew came down a little bit.&nbsp;Whether the pitch was tricky to bat on initially &nbsp;It was tricky to bat on to begin with. Obviously, we lost a few early wickets which never helps in the powerplay. But the surface wasn’t easy to come in and score straightaway. We had a great partnership between (Kieron) Pollard and (Nicholas) Pooran to get us back into the game. To get us up to 160 from the position we were in was really good. With the surface getting better, it wasn’t going to be enough.&nbsp;Difference in the playing conditions compared to last yearSlightly different time of the year, a month earlier which is a bit different. Still a bit warmer than January, when it cools off a bit. Felt like it got a bit wet out there towards the end of the game But in general, coming to different environments as a player, you get used to that. You know a lot of the players anyway. You try to come into the dressing room and bring that group together and gel as quickly as possible. The games come thick and fast. We haven’t had a good performance tonight but the games come thick and fast. You’ve got to try and build quickly as a group.&nbsp;On Rohid Bangash’s performanceReally the first proper time I’ve seen him bowl close and personal. He’s an exciting talent, so many coming out of the country, which is scary with the way they are developing. He’s got a future. He’s got quite a bit to learn, but playing with the best in tournaments like this will only be good for him.&nbsp;On his personal cricketing future&nbsp;I hope so. If people will buy me and I’ll be there. I intend to play for a few more years and hopefully that will be the case.&nbsp;

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“We didn’t capitalize on the start we had with the ball”: Chris Woakes

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Not the best start, MI Emirates Fam, but certainly one where we showed the stomach for a counter-punch when our backs were to the wall. It wasn’t the start we were hoping for but we’ll take some massive positives out of this one. Let’s recap ..&nbsp;Polly, Pooran rise to the occasion&nbsp;After being put into bat, MI Emirates were in a spot of bother at 57/4 in the tenth over. But like they’ve done a zillion times in the past across different franchises in the Blue and Gold, the P power in Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran came to the fore, stitched together a 78-run stand with Polly playing aggressor and Nicky P, the anchor.&nbsp;Polly’s brute power on full displayPoor Tabraiz Shamsi bore the brunt of the Llord’s mood. He was batting on three off the first eight balls he faced. And boom..&nbsp;12.2: MASSIVE SIX over long-on12.3: SIX AGAIN. Hammered over the bowler’s head&nbsp;12.4: A mistime, but still with enough power for ANOTHER SIX over deep mid-wicket&nbsp;The momentum shifted. And soon enough, Polly rushed towards his 67th fifty in the format, off just 32 balls.&nbsp;A finish for the agesFrom 66/4 in 12 overs to 163/6 in 20. 97 runs came off the last eight overs. After Pooran fell for a well-made 46, Romario Shephed took over and belted Nuwan Thushara two fours and a six in the 19th over, followed by Rashid Khan, who joined the squad today as a replacement for Jordan Thompson, walked out to bat off the last ball of the innings, and smoked a six in typical whippy Rashido fashion!&nbsp;Perfect start with the ball, but alas, not quite the finish&nbsp;No matter what format, trust Chris Woakes to strike with the new ball. And he did. Twice, getting rid of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gerhard Erasmus in consecutive overs. But Pathum Nissanka held his nerve, and with Moeen Ali and Azmatullah Omarzai for chipping in, took the Gulf Giants past the finish line with relative ease.&nbsp;Right, we’ve been in such situations before. We know what it is to gather momentum and peak as we go along. We’ll go again, on Sunday afternoon at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium against the Sharjah Warriorz.&nbsp;

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GGvMIE report: A typical Polly fightback, but alas, the Giants hunt it down

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Big news. The English all-rounder, Jordan Thompson, has unfortunately been ruled out of ILT20 Season 4 due to an injury. The Afghan legend, and someone who’s no stranger to the #OneFamily and the MI Emirates, Rashid Khan, will come in as his replacement.Rashid is a proper magician who has seriously revolutionized the T20 game, first with his mystery spin that’s bamboozled the best in the world for nearly a decade now, and then with the bat, inventing out-of-the-box strokes like the ‘snake shot’. Having led MI Cape Town to their maiden title win just ten months ago, he sure knows a thing or two about winning big championships.&nbsp;Rashido, Habibi, welcome to Abu Dhabi!&nbsp;

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Rashid Khan joins MI Emirates for ILT20 Season 4

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Same year, new season. Same passion, same vigour, new challenges. Same MI Spirit, new cycle.&nbsp;The stage is set, the lights are blazing and the drums are rolling… MI Emirates have arrived and are on a mission to conquer. Get set for a month-long extravaganza of massive sixes that land on the streets, some thunderbolts that send stumps flying, and sheer how-on-earth-did-that-happen!&nbsp;MI Emirates have tasted success in 2024. We know what it means and what it takes to win the ILT20. And we know the importance of starting well. With serial champion in the #OneFamily, Kieron Pollard at the helm, trust us to know how to fight right until the very end. Despite the mega Auction, we’ve managed to buy back a large chunk of last year’s batch. It’s a love mix of the new and old, the young and the experienced.&nbsp;The Gulf Giants are up first. They were winners in the inaugural season and would be equally hungry. This rivalry has produced some epic clashes over the last three seasons. Let’s brace up for yet another come season 4..What: Gulf Giants vs MI Emirates&nbsp;When: December 4, 2025 | 6:30pm local time, 8:00pm IST Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, DubaiWhat to expect: A serious cracker. If the first game was anything to go by, the pitch appears to have good bounce and carry, which means a nice even contest between bat and ball should be on the cards. Let the games begin!&nbsp;

Match 1 | GGvMIE preview: Let’s paint the desert in our Blue and Gold!

By MI Emirates Media

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