(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The DP World ILT20 kicked off on Tuesday with a clash between the defending champions Dubai Capitals and the Desert Vipers at the Dubai International Stadium. It was a replay of season 3's final, with the Vipers eventually winning by four wickets.

Skipper Dasun Shanaka remained confident despite the Capitals' defeat in the opening game.

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“We always knew the first game would tell us a lot about the conditions, but we ended up 10–15 runs short of what this wicket demanded. If we had kept a few more wickets in hand, the finish could have been much stronger and the scoreboard very different,” Shanaka said.

He added that the team faced early pressure in the powerplay, which hurt their chances.

“Cricket is a momentum-driven sport. We couldn't set the tone either with the bat or the ball, especially in the powerplay, and that's where they took the game away," he said.

"Their batters made the most of the loose deliveries we bowled, and that early pressure made a big difference despite our later recovery.”

Batting first, the top order faced early pressure after the wickets of Sediqullah Atal (16 off 13) and Shayan Jahangir (19 off 15). Gulbadin Naib (0 off 1) and Jordan Cox (2 off 7) started off a collapse in the opening overs, but then Rovman Powell (29 off 22) and Mohammad Nabi (29 off 23) helped the side to 150 runs in their stipulated 20 overs.

For the Vipers, opening Andries Gous scored a half century and helped his team to the win.

The Sri Lankan all-rounder took responsibility for the loss but was confident.

“As captain, I know I have to take more responsibility and bat higher up the order. Today's collapse pushed me down a bit because we needed the innings to settle, but we'll reassess our plans," he said.

"We're a much better side than what we showed, and I'm confident we'll respond strongly in the next game.”

The defending champions will now face off against the Gulf Giants on Saturday, December 6, for their second match of the tournament.

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