The 30th match of the inaugural season of International League T20 will be played between Sharjah Warriors and Gulf Giants at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium tonight. The last league match of the tournament will decide the four semi-finalists for a five-day knockout round.
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For the unversed, ILT20 2023 knockout round won’t follow the typical pattern of a semi-final and final. In fact, the tournament will follow an Indian Premier League-style knockout round where the Top Two teams will get a couple of shots at reaching the final match which will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
As far as the two above mentioned teams are concerned, Warriors are at the fifth position after winning three and losing five out of their nine league matches. Giants, meanwhile, are currently at the second spot on the back of six wins and a solitary loss thus far.
ALSO READ: SA20 2023 Points Table
In desperate need of a victory, Sharjah won’t be able to pin down Dubai Capitals (currently at the fourth position) if they lose their last league match on Monday. Readers must note that a victory will see them drawing level with Dubai at nine points. It is worth a mention that only a victory with some margin will propel SW to attain a better NRR (Net Run Rate) than DC.
Gulf, on the contrary, will finish at the top of the table if they end the league stage with a win. A loss, however, will make no difference to them as they will still be able to retain their second spot. That being said, GG would be keen to enter the knockout round on a winning note like any other team.
DP World ILT20 Points Table 2023 (updated on February 6)
| Position | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | N/R | Points | NRR |
| 1 | Gulf Giants | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | +1.258 |
| 2 | Desert Vipers | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | +0.399 |
| 3 | MI Emirates | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 1.059 |
| 4 | Dubai Capitals | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 9 | -0.386 |
| 5 | Sharjah Warriors | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 7 | -0.522 |
| 6 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 3 | -1.784 |
