MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Qualifier 2, International League T20 2025-26 takes place on January 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM local time (8:00 PM IST) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
The pitch at Sharjah Cricket Stadium tends to favor batsmen early on with good pace and bounce, but it slows down later, bringing spinners into play and making chases trickier under lights. Expect clear skies with temperatures around 22°C and low humidity on match night, though evening dew could help the chasing side grip the ball better.
This Qualifier 2 clash decides who joins the top team in the ILT20 final, putting everything on the line for both sides after MI Emirates dropped their Qualifier 1 and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders pulled off an Eliminator upset. MI Emirates, fresh off topping the league stage with seven wins, carry momentum but a recent stumble, while the Knight Riders ride high from knocking out a playoff rival.
MI Emirates showed league dominance but faltered in Qualifier 1 against the league leaders, relying on stars like Muhammad Waseem and Kieron Pollard to bounce back. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders turned their season around with an Eliminator victory, fueled by explosive batting from Phil Salt and tight bowling from Ajay Kumar.
Head-to-Head
MI Emirates hold a strong 4-1 edge over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in five ILT20 meetings, showcasing their playoff pedigree. The last five encounters underline this: MI won convincingly in most, including a chase in 2024 and a dominant league win earlier this season, with ADKR’s lone victory coming in a high-scoring thriller at Sheikh Zayed.
ILT20 2025 Match Details
- Match: MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
- Time: 7:30 PM 2:30 PM GMT / 6:30 PM LOCAL
- Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
- 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: MIE vs ADKR
Live Score Info:
Cricket lovers can watch the MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders live score from this website: www.espncricinfo.com
MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Probable XIs
MI Emirates Probable XI: Muhammad Waseem, Dan Mousley, Tom Banton, Kieron Pollard, Romario Shepherd, Shakib Al Hasan, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, AM Ghazanfar, Zahoor Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Arab Gul Momand.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Probable XI: Phil Salt, Michael Pepper, Liam Livingstone, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Brandon McMullen, Sunil Narine, Ajay Kumar, Jason Holder, George Garton, Khary Pierre.
Team Analysis: MI Emirates
MI Emirates boast a balanced squad with explosive batting depth led by Kieron Pollard and Muhammad Waseem, backed by lethal pace from Fazalhaq Farooqi and spin options like Shakib Al Hasan. Their strength lies in top-order firepower and death bowling, though middle-order collapses have been a weakness lately. Key performers include Waseem’s consistent runs and Farooqi’s wickets in crunch games.
Team Analysis: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders thrive on power-hitting from Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Michael Pepper, with Ajay Kumar leading the bowling attack with 16 wickets this season. Their momentum from the Eliminator highlights batting resilience, but bowling depth beyond Kumar remains a vulnerability against MI’s heavy hitters. Standouts like Salt’s 255 runs give them upset potential.
Prediction
MI Emirates edge it in a high-scoring thriller, winning by 10-15 runs chasing 180-plus, thanks to superior head-to-head record, batting depth, and Sharjah conditions suiting their all-rounders.