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The Blue and Gold versus the Purple and Gold. Across three leagues over three different continents, this rivalry always has fans glued in, having produced some of iconic clashes over the last many years. Well, the MI Emirates fans have been through a rollercoaster of emotions over the last two games: the high of the last over defence against the Sharjah Warriorz, followed by the last-ball heartbreak against the Desert Vipers.&nbsp;ADKR are in similar waters, with one win in three games. The Zayed Cricket Stadium is a place both teams know really well. The pitch in the previous game had something in it for everybody and ensured a wonderful contest between bat and ball. The stakes have been raised in a game both teams would be desperate to get two points out of.&nbsp;&nbsp;What: MI Emirates vs AD Knight Riders&nbsp;When: December 11, 2025 | 6:30pm local time, 8:00pm ISTWhere: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi&nbsp;What to expect: A clash of West Indian firepower, with Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd going up against Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Jason Holder. Grab your popcorn tubs!&nbsp;

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Match 4 | MIEvADKR preview: Two teams with similar campaigns, one epic Abu Dhabi derby

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It's never a nice feeling being on the wrong side of a one-run defeat. Tom Banton set the platform with a 29-ball 34, but sadly, it wasn't enough to get us home. But he stressed on the importance of taking lessons out of this game and moving on quickly in the post-match chat. Excerpts..On ending up on the wrong side at the end&nbsp;It is a tough one to take. Throughout the whole game it swung both ways. Tough one to take. The games come thick and fast, we’ve got one day after tomorrow. We have to learn from our mistakes and try and move on.&nbsp;Thoughts on the pitch&nbsp;We were chatting with a few English lads and everyone seemed to think it was a good wicket. But every batter kind of struggled, which is sometimes how it goes. Disappointing for us, but we have to take it and move on.&nbsp;On playing with some big names&nbsp;I’m playing here with Nicky P (Pooran) and Polly (Kieron Pollard), guys I have watched growing up. Obviously to be at the other end to those guys is pretty cool. When you play other teams, there are the English guys you don’t want to get out to.&nbsp;On the weather in the UAE at the moment&nbsp;I can’t complain. In England it is one or two degrees and it’s raining. I’m very happy to be here.&nbsp;

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“We’ll learn quickly and move on”: Tom Banton after one-run heartbreak 

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Heartbreaks are bad enough, but this one’s hit us just when we thought we had it in our grasp. From an impossible-looking situation, we were right back in the boss chair. Alas. It wasn’t to be. MI Emirates fell short, by one run.&nbsp;MI Emirates needed 16 to win off the final over with just two wickets in hand. It soon boiled down to 12 off three. Rashid Khan was on strike.&nbsp;19.4: A slower short ball. Rashid swiveled and pulled way over mid-wicket for a SIX19.5: A high full toss. Rashid swings, gets an under-edge and the keeper misfields. FOUR19.6: 2 off 1 now. MIE could smell the two points. But Khuzaima Tanveen bowls a slower ball outside off. Rashid had already backed away. He swings, misses, tries to sneak in a bye, but the keeper nails a direct hit catching Allah Ghazanfar short. It wasn’t to be ..&nbsp;Excellent defensive bowling to keep the Vipers to 158MI Emirates’ bowlers had the Desert Vipers in a fix in the middle overs, just not allowing them to get away. Fakhar Zaman got a 31-ball 35, Max Holden had to retire out for a 37-ball 42, and in the end, the strategy to hold Rashid Khan back until the end paid off big time.&nbsp;The Pollard-Dhillon impetus&nbsp;Although Tom Banton and Muhammad Waseem stitched together a 42-run stand for the second wicket, and then Nicholas Pooran and Banton got a 42-run stand for the third wicket, it was the 13-ball 23 from captain Polly, along with a seven-ball blitz of 17 from Tajinder Dhillon that got the MI Emirates back in the game firmly. Sadly, wickets kept tumbling, and we fell just short. Just!&nbsp;

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MIEvDV report: By the barest of margins … :(

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It’s always lovely to come home after two games on the road. And we’re here for a bit with three matches on the bounce. If you haven’t recovered from the mad heist against the Warriorz, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Allah Ghazanfar’s bamboozling spell, Romario Shepherd’s yorkers and the MIE Spirit on full display – oh, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to pick up first points.&nbsp;On that high note, we come home. With a loud Blue and Gold army behind us, trust Captain Pollard and Co. to take it up a notch. The Desert Vipers are coming on the back of back to back wins, both while chasing. In the six games that the two teams have played so far, both have won three each. Noor Ahmad vs Ghazanfar, Fakhar Zaman vs Jonny Bairstow, Kieron Pollard vs Sam Curran. There are plenty of fascinating rivalries within to build up for one grand contest.&nbsp;What:&nbsp;MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers&nbsp;When:&nbsp;December&nbsp;9, 2025 | 6:30pm local time, 8:00pm IST&nbsp;Where:&nbsp;Zayed&nbsp;Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi&nbsp;What to expect: This is set to be the first game to be played in Abu Dhabi, so the conditions and the pitch are a bit unknown. Trust there to be good bounce, lots of runs and lots of dew.&nbsp;

“We’ll learn quickly and move on”: Tom Banton after one-run heartbreak

By MI Emirates Media

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