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The tournament is underway and the Vipers are off the mark with two points, courtesy of a four-wicket win against the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium.

The match was a repeat of February's final but this time with a different result!

In this episode we hear from Andries Gous, who's 58 from 36 balls was key to the successful run-chase, as well as left-arm swing bowler David Payne and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who took two wickets apiece to help restrict the Capitals to 150 for eight in their 20 overs.

The Vipers were 85 for one and 108 for two but stuttered in the run-chase before Dan Lawrence (19 not out) and Khuzaima bin Tanveer (12 not out) saw them home with six balls to spare.

The Vipers' next match is against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Sharjah on Friday the 5th of December and tickets are available at www.tickets.virginmegastore.me/ae/ilt20

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The waiting is almost over! It's almost time for the first match of DP World ILT20 Season 4, with the Vipers set to go head-to-head with the Dubai Capitals, and ahead of that encounter, we caught up with Head Coach James Foster after the side's final practice session at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City.

James talks us through the squad's build-up to the game and its significance, with everything now focused on the Dubai International Stadium and the evening of the 2nd of December!

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This time, with the clock ticking down towards the season-opener against the Dubai Capitals on Tuesday the 2nd of December, we speak with all-rounder Sam Curran.

Sam was the player of the tournament in Season 3 when the Vipers narrowly failed to lift the trophy, and coming up we have a relaxed and fascinating chat with a player who, off the back of his stellar season with the Vipers, was recalled to the England white-ball set-up at the end of the English season.

He spoke about his England recall, a reward for outstanding performances in not only last season’s DP World ILT20 but also for helping the Oval Invincibles to a third successive title in the men’s Hundred competition.

Sam also reflected on Season 3 and he talks very interestingly about whether or not his player of the tournament form last time around creates pressure to do it all again in the next month of action.

There’s also his thoughts on the rivalry with the Dubai Capitals and fellow all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, and he tells us about the slower ball he has developed that was such a hit in that Hundred tournament.

And on top of all that, Sam gives us his views on the Vipers’ chances for Season 4.

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With the season-opener against the Dubai Capitals on Tuesday the 2nd of December racing towards us, we speak with captain Lockie Ferguson.

Lockie is back in charge for a second season after taking the Vipers so close to success last time out and so he’s got plenty to reflect upon, as well as plenty to look forward to, in our chat, a chat that’s well worth your time.

Lockie did a terrific job for the Vipers on and off the field last season, bringing the squad together and, along with the coaching staff, helping to foster a really great team spirit.

In our conversation he looks back at season 3, the highs and the lows, and what he learnt as a captain from that campaign.

He also discusses his nine months since February’s final, during which he took in stints at the Indian Premier League with Punjab, coached by Ricky Ponting and led by Shreyas Iyer, a return to Major League Cricket with Washington Freedom captained by Glenn Maxwell and time at the Hundred in the UK alongside Joe Root and Vipers team-mate Max Holden amongst others.

Lockie reflects on his international prospects with the ICC men’s T20 World Cup just around the corner, early next year, and he discusses the prospect of linking up with Pakistan pace ace Naseem Shah, as well as the chance to work again alongside another fast bowler, Khuzaima bin Tanveer, one of the breakthrough stars of season 3.

As you’d expect, Lockie also gives us his perspective on the Vipers’ chances for season 4, and, with one eye on the Dubai Capitals match, he talks about the importance of starting the tournament well.

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The episodes are coming thick and fast as the tournament draws ever nearer and this time we speak with returning fast bowling coach Azhar Mahmood.

Azhar was with the franchise for the first two seasons of the tournament before switching to working with the Pakistan men’s team, but now he’s back and we caught up with him after he arrived at the team’s base at JA the Resort in Jebel Ali on the outskirts of Dubai.

Azhar is one of the very best in the business in his field of coaching fast bowlers and there are plenty for him to work with at the Vipers this season.

There’s captain Lockie Ferguson, death-overs master David Payne, all-rounder Sanjay Pahal who was the player of the tournament in the ILT20 Development Tournament in August and September, plus newcomers Matiullah Khan and Faridoon Dawoodzai, as well as Sam Curran and Naseem Shah, the Pakistan pace ace, amongst others.

Azhar knows all about Naseem having worked with him at national level and he explains why he thinks he will be so effective for the Vipers this season.

He also talks about Sam, a player he worked with extensively at English county Surrey, as well as two more Pakistan players he knows well Fakhar Zaman and Hassan Nawaz.

Azhar explains why he’s come back to the Vipers, how much he’s looking forward to working with Khuzaima bin Tanveer and what his philosophy is as a coach, especially in the fickle format of Twenty20.

And he also gives us his view on the Vipers’ chances for season four.

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Coming up we speak with Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody as players and staff start to assemble at the JA Resort in Jebel Ali ahead of the tournament.

Tom was in great form when we chatted, covering off a range of topics and it really is a chat that – as ever with Tom – is well worth your time.

There’s his take on the process of planning for the auction that happened at the start of October and, on top of that, we hear from him on the prospect of facing up to players that the franchise let go ahead of this season.

Tom also talks to us about the retention of Lockie Ferguson as captain and Sam Curran’s return to the England white-ball set-up off the back of his player of the tournament performance last season.

Tom reflects, too, on the prospect of facing up to the side that beat the Vipers in last year’s final, the Dubai Capitals, in this season’s opener and discusses the decision to break from the build-up of previous years by not having a warm-up match this time.

He also gives us his perspective on what it will take for the Vipers to go from runners-up to winners in this edition of the DP World ILT20.

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This time we speak with English batter Dan Lawrence, one of the seven players retained by the Vipers for season four of the tournament, as we get ever closer to the first ball of the next edition.

Dan was one of the squad’s earliest overseas arrivals into the UAE as he opted to play in the Abu Dhabi T10 beforehand, and he took a break from the action at the Zayed Cricket Stadium to reflect on what’s gone and look ahead at what’s to come.

Dan was one of the stand-out performers for the Vipers in season three, someone who, alongside the likes of Sam Curran and Max Holden, made the Vipers top and middle-order one that the other teams had plenty of respect for.

In our chat Dan talks about that previous campaign and reflects on why the side couldn’t quite get across the line in that epic final against the Dubai Capitals.

He also tells us about what he did during the English summer that followed, including a maiden T20 hundred for his county side Surrey, the experience of playing with a different side from the one he’d previously lined up for in The Hundred, and the frustration of finishing as runners-up with Surrey in the first-class competition, the County Championship.

Dan talks batting, bowling – with his off-spin becoming more and more of a weapon, especially in first-class cricket – the fact he was retained by the franchise, and what he thinks it will take to turn the Vipers from nearly men to winners in this season’s competition.

And he also looks back on his famous 'Flamingo shot', the flick shot he played against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders that deposited the ball over square leg for six.

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With season four just two weeks away, we’ve got a bumper episode for you. We hear from Khuzaima bin Tanveer, the UAE fast bowler who made such a sensational start to life with the Vipers in the previous edition of the tournament. And we also catch up with Phil Oliver, the Desert Vipers CEO, who talks us through off-field preparations for the start of the action.

Very few people outside of UAE cricketing circles had heard of Khuzaima prior to season three, but he showcased his ability very clearly with four for 22 on debut against the Sharjah Warriorz and was a fixture in the team after that performance.

Khuzaima talks us through his memories of that first performance as well as his impressions of his first season in a T20 franchise tournament and he tells us what he’s been up to since then, ahead of season four.

Phil Oliver talks to us about new commercial partners, the return of several other partners from the previous editions of the tournament and also the outreach programmes the Vipers have been running to ensure the footprint of the franchise remains very much in place across the whole year rather than just during the DP World ILT20.

Phil speaks, too, about Tom Moody’s new role with Lucknow Super Giants and what that means for the Vipers, he addresses the balance between the team’s desire to promote sustainability while, at the same time, ensure the focus remains with on-field excellence and how the change of timing for this season’s tournament is impacting what goes on behind the scenes.

Tickets are now on sale for all Vipers matches for the new season, starting with the opening match of the tournament, a repeat of February’s final, with the side facing the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on the 2nd of December.

You can buy them through the league’s official ticketing platform, Virgin Megastore by visiting www.tickets.ilt20.ae.

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This time we speak with English batter Max Holden, one of the breakout stars of the DP World ILT20 in season three.

Max had to be patient at the start of his first season with the Vipers and wasn’t initially able to break into the line-up in the first half of the last campaign.

But rather than sulk, he used his time to work on his game with batting coach Neil McKenzie and so when he did get his chance, he was ready to take it with both hands.

 His outstanding batting at the backend of the tournament helped power the Vipers to the final and he was equally good in that match too, making an excellent half-century that so nearly contributed to a first title for the franchise.

Max tells us all about his first experience with the Vipers as he reflects on that near miss, and also speaks of his and the team’s hunger to go one better in season four.

He also talks with us about how the DP World ILT20 helped set him up for his best-ever season in English county cricket as he topped 1000 first-class runs for the first time – with form like that helping him break into the England Lions set-up for matches against India A.

Of course, Max’s success in season three means he’ll come into the new edition of the tournament as a player who’ll be very much more of a known quantity to opposition bowlers, and he explains to us how he’s dealing with that, as well as giving us an insight into his preparations for the new season.

Don't forget that tickets are now on sale for all Vipers matches in season four and you can purchase them through the league’s official ticketing platform, Virgin Megastore by visiting www.tickets.ilt20.ae.

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This time we hear from Tom Bruce, the New Zealand-born batter who’s now qualified to play for the country of his father’s birth, Scotland.

Like Vriitya Aravind, the subject of our previous show, he’s a Vipers new boy and so, coming up, you’ll get the chance to hear all about a player who is sure to be a terrific addition to the franchise’s roster of top talent.

Tom was picked up in the auction by the Vipers as one of the team’s Associate players, alongside the previously signed USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous, and that followed on his debut for Scotland in August, having qualified for them after more than four years had elapsed since his previous action for New Zealand.

Tom explains that process to us in the podcast as well as how he comes to qualify for Scotland in the first place.

He also talks to us about what sort of player he is, gives us some details about the experience he has within the game, and he discusses an incredible batting feat that he produced this year that has placed him in the top rank of players in the history of New Zealand domestic cricket.

Tickets are now on sale for all Vipers matches in season four of the tournament and you can purchase them through the league’s official ticketing platform, Virgin Megastore by visiting www.tickets.ilt20.ae.

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