After winning the toss and electing to field, Rotterdam watched Dublin Guardians post 178 for 4 in their 20 overs. James Vince was the star of the innings, remaining unbeaten on 95 off 54 balls with five fours and six sixes.
Sanjay Krishnamurthi scored 26 off 17 balls, while Vijay Shankar provided a strong finish with 26 off 13, including two sixes. Vince held the innings together after the early wickets and formed useful partnerships to take Dublin close to the 180-run mark.
Faf du Plessis takes control of the chase
Rotterdam’s reply started aggressively. Michael Levitt smashed 35 off just 14 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 250. He and Faf du Plessis added 55 runs for the opening wicket before Levitt was dismissed by Joshua Little.
From there, Faf took complete control. The former Chennai Super Kings star played a high-class knock of 79 off 51 balls, hitting nine fours and one six at a strike rate of almost 155. His steady but upbeat approach kept the required rate in check during the chase.
Ashwin struggles to build pressure
Ravichandran Ashwin, with his vast T20 experience, tried to slow the scoring during the middle overs. The veteran spinner bowled a disciplined spell and looked to build pressure on Rotterdam’s batters.
However, Faf’s presence at the crease made it difficult for Dublin to sustain the pressure. Despite Ashwin’s tight bowling, the required rate never climbed significantly as the South African continued to find boundaries and rotate the strike effectively.
Rotterdam finish the chase in style
After Levitt’s dismissal, Faf added 39 runs with Vikramjit Singh, who scored 18 off 14 balls. When Vikramjit fell, Heinrich Klaasen joined his captain and the pair put together a crucial 54-run stand.
Klaasen then took charge of the finish, remaining unbeaten on 34 off 28 balls with two sixes. Ben McDermott stayed with him until the end as Rotterdam reached 179 for 3 in 18.4 overs.
Faf du Plessis named Player of the Match
Faf du Plessis was named Player of the Match for his match-defining 79. His innings combined leadership, experience and attacking intent, turning a challenging target into a comfortable chase.
While James Vince’s unbeaten 95 was an outstanding effort for Dublin and Ashwin’s economical spell showed his class, Rotterdam’s batting depth and Faf’s quality proved decisive.