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This is it. This is what we have been playing for over the last month. This is what matters. This is the knockout. There is no coming back. There are no extra lives. MI Emirates are ready, raring to go, and desperate to bring it home!&nbsp;We’ve forgotten the minor blip we had in the previous game. We are coming on the back of five back to back wins in the second half of the league stage in different conditions and despite losing a few of our players. That’s the momentum and confidence we aim to carry going into this all-important second Qualifier. A win here will book us a date for the grand finale.&nbsp;The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are a side we have fond memories against in the two league games, beating them rather comfortably. It’s a nice starting point as we take the field in an Abu Dhabi derby. These are two proud franchises with a rich cricketing history globally. It’s always an iconic clash when these sides meet. You couldn’t have asked for a better way to begin 2026!&nbsp;What: MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders&nbsp;When: January 2, 2026 | 6:30pm local time, 8:00pm IST&nbsp;Where: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah&nbsp;What to expect: Trust the Sharjah pitch to be at its run-fest best. The trend here has been to chase even in the latter half of the tournament, and expect this Friday to be nothing different. The stakes are high, and we are ready!&nbsp;

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Qualifier 2 | MIEvADKR preview: Mission Abu Dhabi derby in Sharjah for Dubai date 

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It might not have been the result or the performance we were after, but in true MIE fashion, we didn’t go down without a fight. One of the major positives to come out of this was 81-run stand for the second wicket stand between Muhammad Waseem and Tom Banton that kept MI Emirates in the hunt. We had one half of that partnership, Waseem, at the post-match press conference. Excerpts..&nbsp;On the pitch and the team’s performance&nbsp;We are a bit disappointed because of our bowling performance, but it’s fine, it’s part and parcel of the game. Throughout the tournament we have bowled superbly but today wasn’t our day. We have one more chance and we will come back strongly. I think this was the best wicket of the tournament.&nbsp;On the team’s batting approach chasing a big targetWe started well today. We were chasing a big total and we were just looking to get as many runs as possible in each over. In such cases, you get mis-hits, dot balls, lose wickets. But our approach was to go for the chase. But we were unlucky to not chase it.&nbsp;Positives of the ILT20 for UAE players&nbsp;This is a big opportunity for the UAE players. The ILT20 is one of the big leagues in the world and all international players play in it. We can learn a lot and try and apply it in UAE cricket to do well.&nbsp;Thoughts on the second Qualifier&nbsp;Different ground, different pitch. We’ll play on that day depending on the ground and the pitch. We would only take the positives from this match. We’ll back our bowlers and batters and hopefully qualify for the final.&nbsp;

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“We’ll take the positives and back our players for the next game”: Muhammad Waseem 

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Okay, let’s forget this ever happened. Let’s just debrief and move on. It wasn’t our best night, and although we might be taking the longer route to get to the final, make no mistake, we will get there.&nbsp;A tough night with the ballNothing really went our way right from the start. Our bowlers couldn’t quite hit their marks, with both the Desert Vipers openers, Fakhar Zaman (69 off 50) and Andries Gous, who smashed a superb century (120 off 58), got them off to a flier. And then skipper Sam Curran produced a 12-ball 38 to lift them to a big 233/1 in their 20 overs. It really needed some chasing..&nbsp;The Waseem-Banton hopeMuhammad Waseem (41 off 32) and Tom Banton (63 off 27) got the team off to the perfect start in the chase, with over 100 runs coming in the first ten overs. Banton, with six fours and four sixes in his knock, did superbly to have DV’s bowlers under the pump. This was just what we needed in the big chase – a platform with wickets in hand. Sadly, both of them fell in quick succession, and it was tough for the rest of the batters to keep up with the tempo.&nbsp;It’s in the MI Emirates blood to fight until the end, something Romario Shepherd did. Alas, it was a touch too late.&nbsp;MIE Fam, we have played some amazing cricket over the second half of the tournament to finish in the top two, thereby earning another bite at the cherry. It might not have been the perfect end to 2025, but it sets 2026 up beautifully. 2nd Jan, after welcoming the new year, we will be in Sharjah, all geared up for the second Qualifier!&nbsp;

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Qualifier 1 report: A night to put behind us, quickly, and build up to Qualifier 2 

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Surely there aren’t many better ways than to spend this festive week than at the cricket. 2025 has been a solid year for the MI Family, having won three titles, and the icing on the cake would be marching into 2026 with a date for the 4th of January.&nbsp;MI Emirates are on a five-match winning streak. Surfaces, conditions, match situations, new players coming in, the team has dealt with everything seamlessly, making sure the victory roll doesn’t stop. Right, this is the first Qualifier, the game that gives both teams an opportunity to jump directly into the Final. The Desert Vipers have had an equally dominant league stage, having lost just two games along the way. It stands 1-1 in the head-to-head encounters, with the Vipers pulling off a one-run win in the first game, and then MI Emirates bouncing back hard with an easy chase in the second.&nbsp;We are in Abu Dhabi. This is our backyard. This is our territory. This is our zone of mastery. The Blue and Gold know what it takes to win these big moments. 2025, let’s cap it off in style!&nbsp;What: Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates&nbsp;When: December 30, 2025 | 6:30pm local time, 8:00pm IST&nbsp;Where; Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi&nbsp;What to expect: This rivalry has produced some absolute nail-biters over the last four seasons. With everything to play for now and stakes at an all-time high, we should be in for some cracking action!&nbsp;&nbsp;

Qualifier 2 | MIEvADKR preview: Mission Abu Dhabi derby in Sharjah for Dubai date

By MI Emirates Media

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