The Dubai Capitals - owned by the GMR Group - take on Sharjah Warriors in match 10 of the International League T20 (ILT20) 2023 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, January 21.

While the Capitals are coming off a disappointing 101-run defeat to Gulf Giants, the Warriors suffered their third successive loss at the hands of Kieron Pollard’s MI Emirates.

Dubai Capitals will have a point to prove in the upcoming ILT20 game, as some of their stars failed to showcase their impressive T20 skills against the Gulf Giants. Victory against Sharjah Warriors will see Rovman Powell and Co. move up third on the points table.

Furthermore, today’s matchup is the first of the Capitals’ back-to-back fixtures in the schedule.

Here are some talking points:

UAE bowlers provide strong depth to the bowling

Akif Raja was on song in the defeat to Gulf Giants, showing his impressive wicket-taking abilities with a spell of 2/23. This took his tally to four wickets at an economy rate of 7.87. Raja, thus, is a valuable asset to Rovman Powell in the bowling order and is likely to keep his place in the playing XI against Sharjah Warriors.

For the Warriors, Junaid Siddique has stood out with the ball with five wickets in three games. The 30-year-old pacer will be the bowler to watch out against Dubai Capitals’ competent batting stalwarts.

Dasun Shanaka, the confidante in the middle order

Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain Dasun Shanaka showed a glimpse of his usual best in his 19-ball 23 against the Gulf Giants. The all-rounder struck four boundaries at a time when the Capitals were struggling to pile up the runs. The upcoming fixture could see Shanaka again step up to pivot the team to a decisive total and possibly return to winning ways.