The Dubai Capitals - owned by the GMR Group - take on MI Emirates in the Eliminator of the International League T20 (ILT20) 2023 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday, February 9.

While the Emirates qualified for the ILT20 playoffs through an 18-run win against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in match 26, the Capitals earned their spot after Sharjah Warriors' seven-wicket loss to Gulf Giants.

Here are some talking points:

The Capitals lead the head-to-head record

Dubai Capitals enter the ILT20 Eliminator with confidence. Why? Because they maintain a 2-0 head-to-head lead against the MI Emirates.

The first meeting saw the Capitals win a high-scoring clash by 16 runs thanks to Rovman Powell's 41-ball 97. In the reverse fixture, Dubai claimed a seven-wicket victory against an Emirates team that didn't feature Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Trent Boult.

Shanaka-Raza pairing out to wreak havoc

Two of the most dangerous all-rounders in the T20 format, Dasun Shanaka and Sikandar Raza, gave a worthy glimpse of their talents with their respective half-centuries in the last Dubai Capitals vs MI Emirates clash.

Having saved the best for the last, the duo will again be in charge of producing fireworks in the middle order and also make valuable contributions with the ball. Given the stakes at hand, Shanaka and Raza will need to put their A-game out against the formidable batting and bowling of the Emirates.