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It wasn't meant to be :(It was a disappointing end to a campaign that promised so much. MI Emirates had their moments right through the league stage, moments of players stepping up and putting on a show, moments of our team spirit coming through as we pulled home in tense finishes, moments of joy for all our fans around the globe. While this Eliminator might have been our last outing in this year’s ILT20, we can hold our heads high for all the fight and the entertainment MI Emirates put up over the last month.&nbsp;Head Coach, Robin Singh, summed up the tournament, “It was a mix. Some of the players played well. Few guys were consistent. The bowling was good in patches. It was a continuation of both good and bad. You have to play well in the big games and the big moments, which we didn’t do today,” he said at the post-match press conference on Thursday (February 6).&nbsp;With Tom Banton becoming the highest run-scorer this year, Nicholas Pooran leading the troops brilliantly, the fast bowlers forming an amazing unit and complementing each other brilliantly, the positives were there for everyone to see.&nbsp;“I think Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled really well for us. Last year we had (Trent) Boulty and Dwayne Bravo, they were the more experienced guys. So he took on that. Tom Banton was exceptional as well. Nicholas played well. Zahoor actually bowled really well. The UAE boys did far better than what people would have expected. This exposure would have been good for them,” said Robin.&nbsp;We will be back stronger. It hurts to have not defended our crown, but the Blue and Gold army will return in 2026 with a vengeance. This is MI team. We are MI Emirates.&nbsp;

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Wasn't meant to be, but thank you for the entertainment, MI Team, MI Emirates

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We tried, we fought, we gave it our all, but it wasn’t to be. MI Emirates, the defending champions, will bow out of this year’s ILT20. It wasn’t our best game with the bat. But the bowlers refused to throw in the towel. The Sharjah Warriorz needed 23 runs off 24 balls at one stage, but through some superb death bowling, it was brought down to 20 being needed off 14. Alas..&nbsp;Skipper Pooran’s Captain’s knockAfter Andre Fletcher fell in the first over, Will Jacks, making his MI Emirates debut and Tom Banton, the man in form, got together to steady the ship with useful contributions. But the biggest impetus to the innings came in the form of skipper Nicholas Pooran’s stroke-filled 22-ball 42, with six fours and a six. However, after he fell in the 13th over, the rest of the batters couldn’t quite give the MI Emirates innings that finish, ending with an under-par 146/8.&nbsp;Rohid, Farooqi help claw back&nbsp;The Warriorz were off to a quick start, getting to 49 inside the fifth over when Muhammad Rohid struck to send back Jonshon Charles. Fazalhaq Farooqi, coming in as the impact substitute, got rid of the other opener, Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Together, the two bowed the 17th and the 18th overs of the innings as well, conceding just nine runs to ensure the asking rate went beyond seven an over.&nbsp;It wasn’t to be!Tim Seifert killed it with three fours and a six in the span of seven balls. While the pressure was building with every dot ball, Seifert took control in the 18th over, kept the strike for the 19th, and took his side home.&nbsp;

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MIEvSW report: A super fightback in the end, but alas, it ends here! :(

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The big-hitting England all-rounder, Will Jacks, is all set to join MI Emirates for the remainder of the 2025 season of the ILT20 as a wild card signing.&nbsp;A dynamite with the willow and a handy off-spinner, this 26-year-old has racked up over 5,000 T20 runs with a jaw-dropping strike rate of 157+ in addition to picking more than 50 wickets. Furthermore, he can prove to be indomitable in powerplays, a true game-changer we can count on. Add his wicket-taking knack with the ball and you’ve got an all-round gem.As we enter the playoffs with the Eliminator (February 6) against the Sharjah Warriorz, Abu Dhabi is all set to witness some extra firepower!&nbsp;

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Will Jacks: Welcome MI Emirates’ Wild Card signing

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Talk about quick redemption. The team we lost to in our final league stage, a loss that denied us a top two finish, is the team we are facing in this Eliminator. It was a game for us to forget, and guess what, we have a chance to put that behind us immediately.&nbsp;The road now is simple. While MI Emirates were left in a bit of suspense after the last league game, the task at hand is crystal clear now. We have three games, each one’s a knockout. There are no retakes. The Sharjah Warriorz, a team Tom Banton absolutely loves (courtesy a century and an 84 in the two games), are up in front. They are in our backyard, in our home ground. Oh, bring it on!&nbsp;What: MI Emirates vs Sharjah WarriorzWhen: February 6, 2025 | 18:30 local time, 20:00 ISTWhere: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu DhabiWhat to expect: What a knockout game does is bring in the pressure. But knowing our free-flowing batters, they barely know that word. We are motivated, we are aggressive, and we are coming for that title!&nbsp;

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Eliminator | MIEvSW preview: What we need: Three Ws, and an instant redemption

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The Desert Vipers are on a roll. They’ve won six out of their seven games. Taming them would be the best possible way to put yesterday’s last-ball heartbreak behind us. The last time these two sides met, Sherfane Rutherford’s cameo at the end and Fakhar Zaman’s half-century steered the Vipers home in Dubai. This time they come over to our territory. They run into a team that’s on a mission to turn things around after a couple of tough losses. &nbsp;There have been a lot of positives for MI Emirates in these first seven games. All our batters have stepped up in different games, and the likes of Dan Mousley and Tom Banton have announced their arrival. With the likes of Sam Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Wanindu Hasaranga in the opposition, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t brace up for another thriller.&nbsp;What: MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers&nbsp;When: January 27, 2025 | 18:30 GST, 20:00 IST Where: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi&nbsp; What to expect: More fireworks. This season has produced a bunch of nail-biters already. While the trend for captains winning the toss is to bat first, Gulf Giants winning while chasing yesterday seems to have bucked that trend too. Should be a fascinating game.&nbsp;

Match 8 | MIEvDV preview: Time to tame the table-toppers

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