Gulf Giants became the first team to win the prestigious ILT20 trophy after defeating Desert Vipers at the Dubai International Stadium, making history in the process. James Vince maintained his winning streak in title matches on Sunday, February 12, as his team easily defeated Desert Vipers.
Carlos Brathwaite and Chris Lynn were instrumental in the Gulf Giants’ victory, which was the result of an outstanding all-around performance by the team in the Final.
While Lynn (72* off 50 balls) performed an outstanding knock with the bat during the chase, Brathwaite took 3 wickets with the ball.
Wanindu Hasaranaga came out swinging to lead his team to a reasonable score, their opponents, the Desert Vipers, were in serious difficulty in the first innings.
The Sri Lankan all-rounder scored 55 runs off just 27 balls, giving the middle overs much-needed momentum. His efforts were futile, though, as Lynn used his vast expertise in the second inning to relatively easily bring his side home.
Aside from the gold medals embroidered with 240 diamonds given to each Gulf Giants player, various other prizes were given out following the competition.
Alex Hales of England won the title of highest run-getter of the competition, defeating rival James Vince, who came in second. Chris Jordan, a member of Hales’ international team, ended up being the most productive bowler of the competition with 20 scalps in ten games.
There were plenty of awards that were given to players after the end of the tournament.
ILT20 has introduced a belt system in their awards, as the cricketers with top performances got hold of their belts.
Here is the full list of the award winners from the ILT20:
Smart Bowler, (INR 12 Lakh) – Tom Curran
Biggest six, (INR 12 Lakh)– Colin Munro (106m)
Super 4s (most boundaries), (INR 12 Lakh) – Alex Hales (43)
Green Belt (most runs), (INR 12 Lakh) – Alex Hales (469)
The prize for the most runs scored during the competition went to Alex Hales. Over the course of the competition, he amassed 469 runs at an average of 46.9.
Along with his 100, he also tied for the competition lead with 4 fifty-scores during the tournament.
White Belt (most wickets), (INR 12 Lakh) – Chris Jordan (20)
Chris Jordan won the award for taking the most wickets throughout the competition. The bowler for the Gulf Giants claimed 20 victims.
Red Belt (most valuable player), (INR 12 Lakh) – Chris Jordan
Chris Jordan, an all-rounder for England, was named the most valuable player. His 20 wickets were taken at a 13.8 average.
Blue Belt (most valuable UAE Player), (INR 12 Lakh) – Muhammad Waseem
Muhammad Waseem received the Blue Belt for being the Most Valuable UAE Player.
Black Belt (championship), (INR 12 Lakh) – Adani Family (Gulf Giants)
Adani family (award collected by Satyam Trivedi – Head – Adani Sportsline)
Key Stats of ILT20:
Here are some important stats from ILT20’s first season:
Top Run-Scorers:
| Player | Team | Runs |
| Alex Hales | Desert Vipers | 469 |
| James Vince | Gulf Giants | 439 |
| Kieron Pollard | MI Emirates | 394 |
| Muhammad Waseem | MI Emirates | 367 |
| Nicholas Pooran | MI Emirates | 355 |
Top Wicket-takers:
| Player | Team | Wickets |
| Chris Jordan | Gulf Giants | 20 |
| David Wiese | Gulf Giants | 18 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Desert Vipers | 15 |
| Dwayne Bravo | MI Emirates | 13 |
| Sheldon Cottrell | Desert Vipers | 12 |
Highest Individual Scores in ILT20:
| Player | Team | Opponent | Score (Balls) |
| Alex Hales | Desert Vipers | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 110 (59) |
| Tom Kohler-Cadmore | Sharjah Warriors | Dubai Capitals | 106* (47) |
| Alex Hales | Desert Vipers | Gulf Giants | 99 (57) |
| Rovman Powell | Dubai Capitals | MI Emirates | 97 (41) |
| Kieron Pollard | MI Emirates | Dubai Capitals | 86 (38) |
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