'By the Barest of Margins': Shaheen Afridi’s Quick Running Steals the Win for Desert Vipers in ILT20 - WATCH

Pakistan pacer and T20I captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s skilful running between the wickets sealed a narrow victory for the Desert Vipers in the International League T20. The 15th game of the ILT20 saw the Desert Vipers clash against the MI Emirates. During the closing stages, the Vipers required three runs to win the match in the last ball of regulation.

Not particularly known for his batting prowess, Afridi managed to slash Trent Boult’s delivery over the backward point. He then made a swift dash and took the required runs in the final ball to beat the MI Emirates by two wickets. A video of the pacer’s smart running between the wickets was uploaded by a user on X. The post read, “Shaheen Shah Afridi wins it for his team by the barest of margins!!!!! What a match!”

Several fans have now reacted to the video with many impressed with Shaheen Afridi’s performance under such a high-pressure situation. One of them wrote, “Shaheen Afridi you beauty, what a win”.

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Another was awed at the cricketer’s commitment to the game as he wrote, “His commitment for League Cricket is unreal, I must say”.

One fan was disappointed to miss such a thrilling game of cricket as he posted, “Had the tickets of this game but I fell sick”.

Another user highlighted the way Shaheen celebrated the win by tossing his bat in the air. “The way he threw the bat”, he wrote.

The ILT20 clash between the MI Emirates and the Desert Vipers took place on January 30 at the Dubai International Stadium. The match began with the Vipers winning the toss and choosing to field first. They found some early success as Mohammed Amir dismissed Kusal Perera at a duck in the first over of the game. The Emirates kept losing their grip in the first half with no batter managing to put up more than 28 runs on the board.

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It was the trio of Amir, Luke Wood and Matheesha Pathirana who did the most damage for the Vipers, combining for seven wickets in the game. Shaheen Afridi was relatively quiet in the bowling half, failing to scalp a single wicket in four overs while giving away 39 runs.

Sherfane Rutherford of the Desert Vipers led his side’s knock in the second half with 35 runs in 22 balls. His innings proved to be crucial as it helped the Vipers edge closer to the finish line. Next, it was Shaheen Afridi who stepped up in the hour of need and delivered 17 runs in just 12 balls. He sealed the win for the Vipers with his impressive run alongside his batting partner Luke Wood.