Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants, Sunday, 22 November 2026 — afternoon session, Sharjah
The 2nd match of the DP World ILT20 Season 5 is Sharjah Warriorz against Gulf Giants on Sunday, 22 November 2026, in the afternoon session, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. It is the first match of the day at a ground hosting 8 matches this season.
This is the second match of the season and the first of two on Sunday, with Dubai Capitals against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders following in the evening in Dubai. Sharjah hosts eight matches this season, and the Warriorz will want their home ground to feel like an advantage from the first afternoon. The full scorecard will appear on this page once the match is played.
Scorecard
Match yet to begin. The scorecard appears here once the match starts.
How both sides arrive in Season 5
Pre-season — the season starts on Saturday 21 November 2026, so there is no Season 5 form yet. What follows is what each side brings into the tournament.
| Team | Captain | Coach | ILT20 titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharjah Warriorz | James Vince | Adrian Birrell | no ILT20 title yet |
| Gulf Giants | Jos Buttler | Simon Helmot | 2023 |
James Vince keeps the captaincy, and Adrian Birrell stays on as coach. The Warriorz attack is the part of the squad that stands out on paper: Adil Rashid's leg-spin, Mohammad Nabi's experience, and Waqar Salamkheil, last season's leading bowler award winner. If the attack fires in Sharjah, the Warriorz can defend almost any total.
Jos Buttler captains the Giants, and Simon Helmot coaches a top order that reads like a list of the format's biggest names: Buttler himself, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Liam Livingstone. The Giants won the first ILT20 in 2023 and have spent three seasons trying to win it again. Their batting is built to chase down anything Sharjah offers.
Two points, and the first marker of the season
A win is worth two points, and a no-result is worth one. Each side plays ten league matches, and the top four reach the playoffs.
Two points are on offer, and for both sides the opening weekend is about setting a tone. The Warriorz play their first two matches at home in Sharjah, so a win here would give them a platform before the season's travel begins. The Giants, meanwhile, open away from Dubai and would love to take two points back to their base.
Early-season games count double in a ten-match league season because the table moves so fast: lose the first two and a side is already chasing the top four. Neither team can afford to treat this as a warm-up. The playoffs begin with Qualifier 1 on Wednesday 16 December, and every point from November counts toward them.
The players who can decide it
Every name below links to that player's profile.
James Vince captains the Warriorz and opens their batting. He has held the role before, and a strong start from him in front of a home crowd would settle the Warriorz order for the rest of their Sharjah run.
Adil Rashid is the Warriorz' most reliable wicket-taker, and Sharjah's slower surface suits his leg-spin. Against a Giants top order that attacks spin, his four overs are the contest inside the contest.
Jos Buttler captains the Giants and opens their batting. He is one of the most feared openers in the format, and if he bats through the powerplay, the Giants' total — or chase — changes shape entirely.
Heinrich Klaasen bats in the Giants' middle order and is among the cleanest strikers of spin in the tournament. How he handles Adil Rashid in the middle overs is likely to decide how far the Giants' innings goes.
Past meetings between these two sides
Eight meetings, and the Giants lead 5–3, but the most recent game went the other way: the Warriorz won by 11 runs on 15 December 2025, after the Giants had won the two meetings before that, both by 6 wickets. That December win was the Warriorz' first in this fixture since January 2025.
Giants lead the head-to-head 5–3 across 8 past meetings, from the 2023 season to last season.
| Date | Stage | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January 2025 | Match 21 | Gulf Giants won by 6 wickets |
| 10 December 2025 | Match 10 | Gulf Giants won by 6 wickets |
| 15 December 2025 | Match 16 | Sharjah Warriorz won by 11 runs |
Match information
| Ground | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah |
| Series | DP World ILT20 |
| Season | 2026-27, Season 5 |
| Match number | Match 2 |
| Match Days | Sunday, 22 November 2026 |
| Points | Winner 2, loser 0 |
Afternoon session — the exact start time has not been published, so this page lists the session only. Match yet to begin — the scorecard will appear on this page after the match.
Frequently asked questions
When does Sharjah Warriorz vs Gulf Giants start?
Match 2 is played on Sunday 22 November 2026 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, in the afternoon session. The exact start time has not been published, so this page lists the session only. It is the first of two matches on Sunday, and Sharjah hosts eight matches this season.
Who captains each side in Match 2?
James Vince captains Sharjah Warriorz, with Adrian Birrell coaching. Jos Buttler captains Gulf Giants, with Simon Helmot coaching the inaugural champions. Vince has kept the role from last season, while Buttler leads a Giants side that won the first ILT20 in 2023.
What is the head-to-head record?
The sides have met eight times in the ILT20, with Gulf Giants winning five and Sharjah Warriorz winning three. The Warriorz won the most recent meeting, by 11 runs in December 2025. The Warriorz won the most recent meeting by 11 runs, their first win in this fixture since January 2025.
Which players should I watch?
James Vince and Adil Rashid for the Warriorz, and Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen for the Giants. Buttler against Rashid in the middle overs is the key contest of the match. Tom Banton opens for the Warriorz, while David Miller finishes innings for the Giants.
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