The Gulf Giants returned to winning ways on Saturday as they coasted to a fantastic seven-wicket win over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the DP World ILT20 clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The win sees the Gulf Giants climb up the ladder to the third spot and does a world of good to their playoff chances. The result also means the MI Emirates join the Desert Vipers as the two teams to have qualified for the playoffs.

Needing a win to stay alive in the competition, the Gulf Giants were brilliant with the ball as they stifled the Knight Riders for 123.

In response, they rode on a superb 70-run partnership between Gerhard Erasmus and Tom Curran and some late pinch-hitting from Shimron Hetmyer to clinch the victory.

Sunil Narine, captain of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, said after the match: “I think they bowled brilliantly and used the conditions to their advantage. We tried to take as many wickets as possible in the powerplay.

“We couldn’t take many wickets in the middle overs and it became easier for them.

“We are on the backfoot, but we will be looking forward to that Mumbai-Sharjah game and are hoping for the best.”

Player of the match, Dan Worrall, said: “Our bowling group prides itself on diversity. Left arm, right arm, tall and short, we have a bit of everything. We’re glad that we’ve at least given ourselves a fighting chance. We’ll be crossing our fingers for the next couple of days.”

Ariana Television is broadcasting the event live across Afghanistan. See full schedule below.