During the recent clash between the Desert Vipers and the MI Emirates in the final of the ILT20 tournament, former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard was seen engaging in a heated altercation with Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah during the MI batting innings.
The International League T20 was inaugurated for the first time in 2023 with six participating teams. All these teams have been playing from the very first season, and the beauty of the tournament lies in the fact that every season has witnessed a new winner in the tournament.
The Desert Vipers can be said to be one of the most successful franchises in the history of the competition, considering the fact that they have managed to qualify for three of the four finals played in the ILT20.
Kieron Pollard's ugly tiff with Naseem Shah in ILT20 final
During the final match of ILT20 2025-26 between former champions MI Emirates and former two-time runners-up Desert Vipers, an ugly feud took place between Emirates skipper and experienced all-rounder Kieron Pollard and Vipers pacer Naseem Shah.
The incident took place on the last ball of the 11th over of the game, when Emirates struggled with a very poor start, and Kieron Pollard was on the crease facing the Pakistan speedster. As Shah bowled a good-length delivery, Pollard could not do much, and Shah mocked the batter with a chuckle.
Pollard, who is not amazed by such treatments, considering the fact that he has played in several finals and has the highest number of trophies won in global franchise cricket, walked straight back to the bowler and engaged in a verbal altercation. Shah had to take a few steps back in front of the big man from the Caribbean. Finally, the umpires had to intervene to separate the two.
Naseem Shah, who returned with a second spell, had the final laugh with the wicket of the Emirates skipper. Kieron Pollard could not lead his team to victory as he walked back following a small partnership with Shakib Al Hasan and having added just 28 runs off the same number of deliveries.
HEATED MOMENT BETWEEN NASEEM SHAH & POLLARD IN ILT20 FINAL 🔥pic.twitter.com/dUuXWLkt5g
— junaiz (@dhillow_) January 4, 2026
Desert Vipers win maiden ILT20 title under English all-rounder's leadership
The Desert Vipers have been one of the most successful franchises, with three finals appearances in the last four seasons; however, they have never won the title until this season. At the start of the season, they got a new captain in the form of England all-rounder Sam Curran.
Sam Curran, with an added responsibility and the World Cup approaching, showed fine form, especially with the bat. Curran, who elevated himself in the batting order, scored an unbeaten 74 in the finals to lead his team to a respectable total.
Curran finished as the highest run-scorer in the series with 397 runs, and David Payne was one of the best performers with the ball for them. Naseem Shah was also amazed by a 3/18 spell in the final, which included crucial breakthroughs.
Overall, with a 46-run victory over the Emirates, the Vipers went on to win their maiden title in the ILT20 after being runners-up in the 2023 and 2025 seasons.
Captain Pollard fails to secure the second ILT20 title for MI Emirates
MI veteran Kieron Pollard might have retired from the IPL, but he still continues to represent all other MI franchises in the global T20 leagues like ILT20, the MLC, and the SA20 as well. He was named the skipper of the MI Emirates for the 2025-26 season.
Despite valiant efforts from different players throughout the season, the Emirates could not get their hands on the cup after a poor batting card resulted in a loss in their second ILT20 final. Muhammad Waseem finished as their highest scorer, with Tom Banton second to him.
Kieron Pollard himself remained a brute force down the order with 15 hammering sixes in the tournament, and young Allah Ghazanfar was their highest wicket-getter with 15 wickets in the season.
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