Betting Tips

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders finished higher and got the better of the Desert Vipers twice last season. They should be tipped to put in another spectacular performance again. The Knight Riders are also filled with T20 firepower to have them covered in all aspects of the game. The Desert Vipers though will not go down without a fight from their quality players.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers Head-to-Head Record

The Knight Riders have outperformed the Vipers in this clash. The team from Abu Dhabi have won both games against their visitors by six wickets in January 2024.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers Live-streaming and Broadcast

This ILT20 match will take place on Sunday, 12 January 2025 at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will take on the Desert Vipers. Catch the action in India on the Zee Network for TV broadcast and FanCode app for live-streaming.

ADKR vs DV Team Previews

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

The explosive Kyle Mayers at the top will set the tone with his aggressive stroke play. Partnering Mayers is the dynamite of wicketkeeper-batter Michael Pepper. His speciality is blasting the ball at an impressive strike rate even for the short formats.

Pepper has a batting strike rate of over 140 for his last nine ILT20 innings. He blasted an innings of 36 runs off 25 balls versus the Vipers last season. Fellow Englishman Joe Clarke provides stability to the middle order, but is equally adept at increasing the tempo of the innings.

Youngster Alishan Sharafu adds local flair and potential to the lineup. He starred with 82 runs not out off 47 balls against the Vipers last season. The experienced Laurie Evans is another English batter with the adaptability to assess the situation and do what is required.

The powerhouse West Indian duo of Andre Russell and Jason Holder make the team’s middle order formidable. Both are world-class T20 all-rounders who have been wanted around the world in the biggest T20 leagues. Russell took two wickets against the Vipers in January 2024.

David Willey brings left-arm seam. Willey is particularly lethal with the new ball. The English bowler has nine wickets in his ten previous games. He will be useful down the batting order to add batting depth. Skipper Sunil Narine leads the side with his experience and tactical prowess.

His mystery spin and leadership will play a key role in guiding the Knight Riders' campaign. He scalped bowling figures of two for 23 in four overs when the teams met last year. He has been used as a floating batter as well because of his power-hitting.

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and medium-pacer Shahid Bhutta round out the bowling attack.

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Expected Playing 11

Desert Vipers

The top order is headlined by Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman. The opener has made numerous explosive starts to games which have been converted into significant innings. He is a proven match-winner. The left-handed Pakistani batter has accumulated more than 7000 T20 runs.

Youngster Tanish Suri, the wicketkeeper and opening batter, will have the licence to play with freedom and excite the crowd. The likes of Max Holden and Dan Lawrence bring the prowess to effectively manage the middle overs. Lawrence has 19 half-centuries in T20s.

Power-hitter Sherfane Rutherford and England’s star all-rounder Sam Curran provide firepower and balance in the latter half of the innings. Sam Curran was player-of-the-tournament in the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The Vipers are dangerous at the back end of the innings. Michael Jones and young UAE prospect Ali Naseer offer further valuable depth in the batting lineup. Naseer hit a high score of 63 not out in last season’s ILT20.

The bowling attack is spearheaded by captain and fiery pacer Lockie Ferguson. The right-arm pacer is supported by the left-arm swing of Luke Wood. Wood is also an adaptable enough bowler to be tough to face at the death. The Sheffield-born Wood has 13 wickets in his ILT20 career.

Nathan Sowter’s leg-spin could be one of the points of difference between the sides if he manages to find some turn on a dry surface. The English all-rounder took best bowling figures of three for 21 in last year’s edition of the tournament.

Desert Vipers Expected Playing 11

ADKR vs DV Toss Prediction

The captains on both ends may prefer bowling first. This is a fresh pitch, so conditions may be consistent for both sides. The knight Riders won both games against the Vipers last year by chasing.

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch at Zayed Cricket Stadium in day T20s generally offers a balanced surface with good pace and bounce. The spinners often play a crucial role in the subcontinent as the pitch tends to dry out under the sun. There may be turn on offer for the spinners. The seamers may only find movement with the new ball for the first couple of overs. In the successful chases against the Desert Vipers the targets were 165 and 155 respectively.

The matchday weather will be sunny, hot and humid with only a small breath of wind. As is typical of conditions in the United Arab Emirates, there is no chance of rain.

ADKR vs DV Betting Tips

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders outplayed the Desert Vipers twice in 2024. They will be confident of starting their 2025 ILT20 season with another win to carry on that record. Both teams suffered from mixed results last year. The Knight Riders won five and lost five. The Desert Vipers won four and lost six. The team from Abu Dhabi may be slight favourites because of their higher finish in 2024.

Bet on Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to win this match.