Safa Kadal Stars lift inaugural KSL Cup in Dubai

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Safa Kadal Stars won the inaugural Drehomes Kashmir Super League (KSL) T-20 Cricket tournament in Dubai by beating Raj Bagh Floodies
Safa Kadal Stars won the inaugural Drehomes Kashmir Super League (KSL) T-20 Cricket tournament in Dubai by beating Raj Bagh Floodies

Dubai - Stadium comes alive as two of the best teams clash in epic T-20 finale

by

Sadiq Shaban

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Published: Fri 3 Jun 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Fri 3 Jun 2016, 8:55 PM

Safa Kadal Stars have won the first ever Drehomes Kashmir Super League (KSL) T-20 Cricket tournament in Dubai by beating Raj Bagh Floodies in a cliffhanger at the ICC Academy in Dubai. In a nail-biting finish on Thursday night, the boys in yellow and black showed their class, romping to a big win in the finals to lift the coveted KSL trophy for 2016.

KSL-1

Teams: 8
Matches: 15
Most number of runs: 506 (Mahfooz Ilahi)
Man of the Match: Umer Mir
Man of the Series: Mahfooz Ilahi
Best Batsman: Iffi Mir
Best Bowler: Shabir Bhat
Best Fielder: Majid Khan
Thanks for a brilliant knock of 33 by their skipper Naseer Hazari, Safa Kadal dominated the game from the beginning. Chasing a target of 160 runs, wickets kept falling for Raj Bagh Floodies at regular intervals, despite some early sloppy fielding by the winning side.
The bowling, especially by Umer Mir, who took two crucial wickets, was compelling with a hint of swing and entirely fitting for the final. While both teams brought their A-game to the biggest T-20 game of the tournament, Safa Kadal Stars proved to be better prepared.
Although Raj Bagh had won a tense semifinal match against Khankah Gladiators last week, this was a different ball game. Despite a timely 50 runs by Mohsin Mattoo, an astute cricketing strategy by Safa Kadal Stars overwhelmed the Floodies. In the end a difference of 9 runs represented the difference between the two sides.
There was no shortage of support for both teams as the ICC Academy in Dubai Sports City came alive with hundreds of spectators in attendance. The venue buzzed with energy well before the game went underway. Clad in black and yellow jerseys, Safa Kadal's supporters had come prepared for a capital show from their heroes. Raj Bagh Floodies had an equally determined set of fans, cheering on their boys in blue and orange.
In the end Safa Kadal Stars proved to be the champions on field and although it was hard to warm to many aspects of their athletic performance (they dropped 4 catches), there was no doubting the array of skills and unadulterated cricketing fervour on display.
"For me it's not only being passionate about cricket but also bringing the community together and staying connected to our roots. This is about creating a home away from home," Mudasir Wani, Managing Director, Drehomes RealEstate, Dubai, the event's main sponsor told Khaleej Times.


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