KnightRiders vs MI Emirates, 6th Match at Abu Dhabi, ILT20, Jan 23 2024 - Ball by Ball Commentary

9:15pm That will be all from us for tonight. Join us tomorrow too as the Desert Vipers take on the Gulf Giants in a repeat of last year's final. Until then, this is goodbye from me (Shashwat) and Vairavan. Take care, folks!

Nicholas Pooran, MI Emirates captain: We wanted to win this game and to respond after the first game where we lost heavily…the guys accepted the challenge. (On Boult) He bowled amazingly. Really happy to have him on our team. (On the pace Boult is bowling at) 110-115 (kph) maybe. He says he is bowling a little faster (laughs). (On the role Akeal Hosein played tonight) Not only tonight, but the last game as well. the bowling attack acknowledges each has a role to play. (On the season ahead) Hopefully we can be consistent, keep our feet on the ground, come out the next game and have the same, consistent mindset.

Sunil Narine, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders captain: When you lose four in the powerplay, you are on the back foot. The key to this game might have been to accumulate and get through the powerplay with the loss of two wickets, at the most. (On how to recover after such a game) You try to forget about it as soon as possible and come out ready for the next game. There are senior guys (in the team), and they will know where they have gone wrong. They will look at themselves and see how best they can contribute in the long run.

Trent Boult, Player of the Match: He always has advice for me so full credit to Danny Morrison (smiles). I am trying to swing the ball, pitch the ball up. Most of the time, I am going full tilt. Nice to get the ball moving tonight. To keep a team as star-studded as that to under 100 was a great effort. (On when he feels he is in good rhythm) When you see a bowler in good rhythm, it is down to two things: technique and timing. It all comes down to the run-up. It is important to take it nice and slow, and build up pace going through the crease. We have some very experienced T20 cricketers in our team. Someone like DJ Bravo is a great guy to bounce ideas off. I have been very lucky with injuries but there is no substitute for hard work. Fortunate for the opportunities I have had. He (Akeal Hosein) has tremendous skill, gets the ball to swing. I feel we have a team to go very far in the tournament.

Boult, who won the Player of the Match award today, could return to the NZ team for the upcoming T20I series against Australia.

8:55pm A proper annihilation. That is what it was. MI Emirates took just 8.1 overs to polish off this game, and they have now surged to the top of the table. Perera and Waseem landed the early blows in the powerplay to extinguish any hopes of an ADKR turnaround. Pooran then piled on further misery, and finished with 39 off 16.

Not much to talk about from an ADKR bowling perspective. One thing they will be unhappy about is the lengths they bowled with the new ball, especially after having seen Boult wreak such damage. They will want to put this down as an aberration but after what happened last season, this loss will take some recovering from.

Can Pooran finish it this ball?

Over the wicket to Pooran

Here's Imad Wasim. Around the wicket to Waseem

Narine brings himself on