Abu Dhabi Knight Riders face MI Emirates in the 21st match of the DP World ILT20 2025 season, a crucial clash at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Scheduled for Saturday, December 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM local time (3:30 PM IST), this game pits two mid-table sides desperate for playoff momentum.
The fixture is Match 21 of the International League T20 Season 3. Expect a balanced pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, offering early help to pacers through seam movement and low bounce, before settling into a slower surface favoring spinners later—teams batting first have won four of the last six here, with 175+ often proving safe. Weather forecasts clear skies around 26°C daytime dropping to 18-19°C at night, 58% humidity, light winds, and zero rain risk for uninterrupted play.
Both teams sit on six points but need wins to climb toward the top four, where Desert Vipers lead with 12. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) sit fifth with a poor -0.788 NRR after 3-4 in seven games, while MI Emirates (MIE) hold fourth on +0.095 NRR from 3-3 in six—their positive rate gives a slight edge in tight scenarios. A loss could doom ADKR’s faint hopes, but victory keeps MIE’s alternating form (WLWLW) rolling toward playoffs.
ADKR started with a 39-run win but slumped to four straight losses before back-to-back triumphs over Desert Vipers and Gulf Giants (LLLWW). MIE mirror inconsistency, winning three of six in loss-win-loss pattern, including a seven-wicket chase of 123 against ADKR in Match 11 on December 11. Momentum favors MIE slightly after that clinical chase, but ADKR’s recent grit shows resilience.
Head-to-Head
MIE lead the rivalry 2-0 in ILT20, including the thrilling seven-wicket win on December 11 (ADKR 122, MIE 123/3 in 13.5) and a 2024 final-lineup clash (ADKR 182/7, MIE 189/2). Earlier, MIE dominated a low-scorer (ADKR 95, MIE 96/1). No ties across these four T20 meetings, with MIE’s chasing prowess key—no full five-meeting history yet due to limited encounters.
ILT20 2025 Match Details
- Match: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates
- Time: 3:00 PM 10:00 AM GMT / 2:00 PM LOCAL
- Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
- Live Broadcast: FanCode app and website, Zee Network
International T20 League Live Streaming Info:
The International League T20 (ILT20) 2025 features 6 teams: Dubai Capitals, Desert Vipers, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, and Sharjah Warriors. The tournament includes a total of 34 matches.
The competition runs from January 11, 2025, to February 9, 2025. Matches are held at three major venues in the UAE: Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah, and Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
- India: Live streaming is available on the Zee5 OTT platform; TV coverage is on multiple Zee Network channels, including Zee Cinema and Sony Six.
- Pakistan: Matches are live on the Tapmad platform and TV channels such as PTV Sports, Geo Super, and A Sports.
- Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Abu Dhabi Sports, Dubai Sports, MYCO, and the ILT20 official YouTube channel for live streaming.
- Caribbean: Rush Sports, Flow Sports.
- United Kingdom: BT Sport, Sky Sports, Zee TV, TNT Sports, BBC iPlayer (online free access).
- Australia: Fox Cricket, Channel 9, Stan Sports.
- New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ.
- United States and Canada: Willow TV, ESPNcricinfo, and BBC iPlayer.
- Europe: Samsung TV Plus, Rakuten TV.
- South Africa: SABC Sport, Showmax, DStv Now.
The format is a double round-robin where each team plays the others twice, followed by playoffs including Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the Final. The playoffs start on February 5, with the final scheduled for February 9, 2025, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
How to Watch the Match for Free:
YouTube: Search for the ILT20 Official Channel and look for the live stream during match times.
Tamasha: Visit their website or app to find the live streams available for ILT20 matches.
Live Streaming Info:
Sky Cricket will be live: ADKR vs MIE
Live Score Info:
Cricket lovers can watch the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates, 21st Match live score from this website: www.espncricinfo.com
Probable XIs
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Probable XI: Alex Hales, Alishan Sharafu, Unmukt Chand (wk), Liam Livingstone, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder (c), Ajay Kumar, Olly Stone, Piyush Chawla.
MI Emirates Probable XI: Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Tom Banton/Jonny Bairstow, Kieron Pollard (c), Tajinder Dhillon, Romario Shepherd, Chris Woakes, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zahoor Khan.
Team Analysis: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
ADKR’s strength lies in explosive batting from Alex Hales and Sherfane Rutherford, backed by allround firepower from Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, but their weakness shows in batting collapses under pressure and a leaky NRR from middle-order frailty. Jason Holder’s leadership and pace duo Olly Stone-Jason Holder add bite, though spin leaks runs lately. Recent wins highlight Narine’s economy and Russell’s finishing, but four prior defeats exposed top-order woes against quality pace.
Team Analysis: MI Emirates
MIE boast a rock-solid top order with Muhammad Waseem and Nicholas Pooran, plus Rashid Khan’s wizardry and Kieron Pollard’s finishing—depth in allrounders like Romario Shepherd and Chris Woakes covers their occasional bowling lapses. Weaknesses emerge in inconsistent powerplay aggression, but +NRR reflects chasing nous. Match 11 dominance came via Jonny Bairstow’s 49 and Rashid’s stranglehold, fueling their WLWLW streak.
Prediction
MI Emirates hold the edge with superior head-to-head record, better NRR, and chasing form on a balanced pitch suiting their spin attack—expect them to win by 10-15 runs or 4-5 wickets if defending 160-170. ADKR’s recent fightback adds intrigue, but MIE’s depth tips the scales.