NEW DELHI: Nicholas Pooran and Mohammad Waseem struck brisk half-centuries as MI Emirates secured a playoff berth with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Gulf Giants in the World ILT20 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

An impressive bowling display, combined with Pooran and Waseem's unbeaten 140-run stand off just 89 balls, secured their fourth straight win with 21 balls to spare on Tuesday.

Chasing 142, MI Emirates were 58/2 in 10 overs before Pooran and Waseem added 84 runs in the next 6.3 overs. Waseem carried his bat with 59 off 42 balls, including three fours and three sixes, while Pooran remained unbeaten on 69 from 49 balls, smashing six sixes and three fours.

For the Giants, Moeen Ali’s 51 from 48 balls proved in vain.

In the second innings, Mark Adair set the tone by trapping Jonny Bairstow LBW (0 off 3), followed by Azmatullah Omarzai removing Tom Banton (0 off 5), reducing MI Emirates to 2/2 inside the first two overs.

Pooran and Waseem rotated the strike well, finding the odd boundary. Pooran began accelerating after the 10th over, bringing up his half-century in 43 balls with a boundary in the 14th over.

After completing a 100-run partnership in just 74 balls, Waseem reached his own half-century in 38 balls, his first of the season. By the 15th over, MI Emirates needed 27 runs from 30 balls.

The duo closed out the win comfortably, with Pooran hitting back-to-back sixes in the 16th over before Waseem calmly finished the chase.

Gulf Giants struggle

Earlier, Romario Shepherd made early inroads by dismissing James Vince (3 off 4) in the second over, followed by Rahmanullah Gurbaz (11 off 10) bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi an over later.

Shepherd struck again in the fourth over to remove Asif Khan (12 off 8), keeping the Giants to 36/3 at the end of the powerplay.

MI Emirates continued to apply pressure as Arab Gul trapped Lorcan Tucker (13 off 13) LBW in the ninth over.

Moeen Ali and Omarzai (14 off 19) struggled to lift the tempo against tidy spells from Gul, Shakib Al Hasan, and Kieron Pollard, which restricted the Giants to just 18 runs between overs seven and ten.

Ali and Omarzai added some momentum with a 40-run partnership off 34 balls, which was broken in the 15th over when Farooqi dismissed Omarzai. Ali and Mayers then added 52 runs in 35 balls.

The acceleration came with 15 runs in the 16th over, followed by another 15 in the 18th. Ali brought up his half-century in the 19th over, and Mayers’ unbeaten 28 off 18 balls, including four fours and a six, helped the Giants finish on 141/6.

(With PTI Inputs)