By Himadullah Sohoo 
Maheesh Theekshana’s magical spin and Daniel Sams’ accurate pace ripped through the Dubai Capitals batting order, handing the Sharjah Warriors a commanding nine-wicket win in the DP World ILT20.
Capitals Crumble Under Spin:
Chasing a modest 105, Niroshan Dickwella (37) and Johnson Charles (43*) blazed through the Warriors’ chase, reaching the target in just 13.1 overs. But the story belonged to Theekshana and Sams, who decimated the Capitals for a paltry 104.
The Sri Lankan spinner cast a spell, bagging 4-20 with unplayable deliveries. His partner in crime, Sams, chipped in with 3-28, leaving the Capitals reeling at 44-5 within the powerplay.
Warner, Gurbaz Fall Early:
Earlier, opting to bat first backfired for the Capitals. David Warner (16) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9) fell cheaply, and despite Roelof van der Merwe’s 21 and Sikandar Raza’s 22, the innings never recovered.
Warriors Climb the Table:
This emphatic win catapults the Warriors to second place in the points table, while the Capitals slide down to fourth.
Key Quotes:
- TKC (Sharjah Warriors captain): “The guys were brilliant in the first innings. This isn’t the easiest place to play spin, and to have someone (Theekshana) who can bowl three overs in the powerplay is brilliant. Everyone’s chipping in, just about finding consistency.”
- David Warner (Dubai Capitals captain): “We weren’t good enough with the bat. We are all accountable for that. The wicket played a bit differently than we expected, and we need to give credit to them for the way they bowled. Our shot selection wasn’t good enough. We need to go back to the drawing board and be brave.”
- Maheesh Theekshana (Player of the Match): “The surface was a bit slower than yesterday and it got better for me. We have got experienced players, and we are performing well as a team. In Abu Dhabi (next match), I have bowled in the T10 and the 2021 World Cup as well. I know the wickets there, so hopefully I can get better out there too.”
Brief scores:
Dubai Capitals 104 in 18.2 overs (Sikandar Raza 22, Roelof van der Merwe 21, Daniel Sams 3 for 28, Maheesh Theekshana 4 for 20); Sharjah Warriors 105 for 1 in 13.1 overs (Niroshan Dickwella 37, Johnson Charles 43n.o, Joe Denly 23n.o)
Sharjah Warriors beat Dubai Capitals by 9 wickets.
Player of the Match: Maheesh Theekshana
Anas Ahmed 
Zainab Shafiq