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. 

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). 

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. 

“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. 

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.