Vipers Voices

Brian Murgatroyd

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Cricket

This is the home of The Desert Vipers, the Twenty20 franchise side competing in the ILT20, the shortform tournament in the United Arab Emirates with its fourth edition in December 2025 and January 2026. For exclusive interviews and insight from the Desert Vipers camp, this is the place to be. This is Vipers Voices...

10h ago

Tom Moody and Phil Oliver with DP World ILT20 auction reaction!

Send us Fan Mail Straight after the player auction for Season 5 off the DP World ILT20, we were joined by Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver and Director of Cricket Tom Moody with their reaction to the squad assembled for the defense of the title. It includes three of the four UAE players were played a role in that Season 4 success, plus Pakistan stars Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman. Season 5 starts in mid-November. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
3d ago

Jack Luffman & Vriitya Aravind wrap up the Development Tournament!

Send us Fan Mail This time we have a bumper episode for you as we wrap up the ILT20 Development Tournament, the event that saw UAE players given the opportunity to showcase their talent before next month’s DP World ILT20 auction ahead of Season 5. The side representing the Desert Vipers finished as runners-up for the second successive season, losing out in the final to the Gulf Giants team by four wickets. Coming up we hear from Jack Luffman, the Desert Vipers’ Development Lead, who was head coach of the team at the Development Tournament, as well as Vriitya Aravind, who was captain of the side. And we also hear from two of the Vipers squad who are part of the Desert Vipers’ Talent Pathway Programme (TPP) – Punya Bhatia and Ayaan Misbah. They give us their reflections on the value of the Development Tournament as part of their growth as players. And there’s good news for Ayaan as he’s been named in the UAE senior squad for the first time off the back of the Development Tournament, for the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 series event in the USA featuring not only the hosts but also Namibia, with those matches taking place in Dallas from October the 3rd to the 11th. Ayaan’s inclusion is a tremendous achievement for the 17 year-old batter and also a source of pride for the Vipers given Ayaan’s participation in the Talent Pathway Programme. Ayaan becomes the second TPP player to be selected for a senior UAE side after Janani Thirukkumaran, who debuted for the women's national team in June of this year. Also in the latest UAE men's squad are fast bowler Khuzaima bin Tanveer, such a key player for the Vipers in the title-winning DP World ILT20 Season 4, and former Vipers Ali Naseer and Tanish Suri. A reminder, too, that the auction ahead of DP World ILT20 Season 5 takes place on Thursday the 1st of October in Dubai and we’ll be here, on Vipers Voices, afterwards, with all the reaction to the bidding and with details of who the Vipers will have in their squad as the franchise attempts to become the first team to defend the DP World ILT20 title. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
Sep 24

The Vipers lose a thrilling Development Tournament final!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look back at the final of the ILT20 Development Tournament, that wrapped up at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Thursday evening, the 24th of September. Sadly, it was a step too far for Vriitya Aravind’s side as they lost by four wickets to the Gulf Giants, but it was a terrific match to cap a fantastic competition that showcased the very best of UAE talent ahead of the DP World ILT20 player auction at the start of October. After we recap on the final, we hear from Desert Vipers Development Lead Jack Luffman, the team’s head coach for the tournament, with his reflections on the ultimate match and the event as a whole. It’s worth saying at this juncture too that the Vipers’ side’s appearance in the Development Tournament final means that it’s four domestic finals in a row for the franchise – two in the DP World ILT20 and now two in the Development Tournament – and that’s a pretty impressive effort by any measure. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
Sep 23

The Vipers are into the Development Tournament final!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look back on the Vipers’ team’s semi-final against the Sharjah Warriorz, at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Wednesday evening, the 23th of September. And it was another back-from-the-dead victory for Vriitya Aravind’s side, by 25 runs, which means they are in Thursday night’s final against the Gulf Giants. We hear from head coach Jack Luffman, the Desert Vipers' Development Lead, who gives us his perspective on another remarkable night of action. The Gulf Giants team, the Vipers’ opponents in the ultimate match, were the leading line-up in the league stage with four wins from their five matches, and they brushed aside the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders side in the first semi-, winning by six wickets with a remarkable 23 balls in hand, chasing 172 to win. As for the Vipers, they ended up facing the Warriorz after finishing third in the league stage, while the Warriorz were second – both teams ended up on six points from three wins and two losses, but the Warriorz were ahead thanks to net run-rate. In the semi-final, the Vipers made 171 for nine batting first and, in reply, the Warriorz made 146, also for nine wickets. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
Sep 21

Vipers win to seal a semi-final place!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look back on an incredible victory for the Vipers side in their final league match of the tournament – a must win game against the Dubai Capitals at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Monday evening, the 21th of September – and that includes hearing from the Vipers’ Development Lead and Head Coach for this tournament, Jack Luffman. The Vipers scored 191 for nine batting first only for the Capitals to fly out of the traps in response, racing to 93 without loss in just the eighth over and seemingly on course for a win that would have sent them through to the semi-finals and, at the same time, knocked out the Vipers. But remarkably, the Vipers then took all 10 Capitals wickets for just 37 runs in a little over six overs to secure a 61-run win as the Capitals were bowled out for 130 in 14 overs. It means the Vipers now have a day to rest before Wednesday’s semi-final with the prospect of a second successive final in this competition now just one match away. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
Sep 20

Vipers slip to defeat against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in latest Development Tournament outing!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look back on a defeat for the Vipers side, at the hands of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders team, by 88 runs at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City on Sunday evening, the 20th of September. The ADKR side raced to 196 for eight batting first and the Vipers replied with 108 all out from 15.5 overs. It’s a result that leaves the Vipers outside the top four places on net run-rate – and with the top four going into the semi-finals, it means the next match, against the side immediately above them, the Dubai Capitals, has become, in effect a quarter-final. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
Sep 17

A second win for the Vipers side at the ILT20 Development Tournament!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we reflect upon the Vipers side’s third match of the Development Tournament, this time against Gulf Giants, and it’s produced a second Vipers victory, this time by four wickets with three overs in hand. We hear from the Desert Vipers’ Development Lead, Jack Luffman, the Vipers’ head coach for these matches, as he gives us his take on the game. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
Sep 16

Defeat for the Vipers despite a brilliant fight!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we continue our coverage of the ILT20 Development Tournament. And after the Vipers side’s win against MI Emirates in match one, this time Vriitya Aravind’s team came up short, losing by two wickets to the Sharjah Warriorz side in a repeat of the final of the previous Development Tournament, 12 months ago. Coming up, we hear from Vriitya as he gives us his perspective on the loss. All six franchises have sides in the Development Tournament at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City, which serves as a shop window for the UAE players ahead of the player auction in early October that precedes season 5 of the DP World ILT20. One thing is certain and that is there’s not much time to dwell on the reverse as the Vipers team is next in action just 24 hours later, against Gulf Giants, all part of a short, sharp tournament that lasts just 11 days. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com

This is the home of The Desert Vipers, the Twenty20 franchise side competing in the ILT20, the shortform tournament in the United Arab Emirates with its fourth edition in December 2025 and January 2026. For exclusive interviews and insight from the Desert Vipers camp, this is the place to be. This is Vipers Voices...

Creator

Brian Murgatroyd
Years Active

2022 - 2026
Episodes

212
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Vipers Voices
Show Website

Vipers Voices