The Deccan Gladiators signed off their 2025 Abu Dhabi T10 campaign with a 19-run victory over the Vista Riders on Friday night, but it wasn’t quite enough to keep their playoff dreams alive. Despite the win, the Bulls’ superior net run rate carried them through, leaving the defending champions stuck in sixth place with three wins from seven games.

It’s a tough ending for a side used to dominating this format, and captain Nicholas Pooran didn’t shy away from calling it what it was.

“Honestly, the performance has been disappointing,” Pooran admitted after the match. “We were not up to the challenge this year, and that is tough for us because we only have ourselves to blame. But over the last five years, we’ve been fantastic as a group. Winning and losing are part of cricket.”

Pooran, the second-highest run-scorer in ADT10 history with a massive 1,572 runs at a strike rate of 223, said the squad is taking important lessons from this year’s inconsistent run.

“We won’t take anything for granted,” he said. “T10 is such a tough format, and we were inconsistent. We tried our best today, but it wasn’t enough to reach the playoffs. We take a lot of pride in how we represent ourselves in this tournament.”

One bright spot for the Gladiators this season? UAE fast bowler Muhammed Jawadullah caught his captain’s eye with his accuracy and composure under pressure.

“He’s been really good for us,” Pooran said. “He bowls very accurate wide yorkers, that’s a huge skill in this format. He has a lot of talent, and we’re happy to be part of his journey as a cricketer.”

The ADT10 action now heats up with Quetta Qavalry vs Aspin Stallions in Qualifier 1, while Ajman Titans take on the UAE Bulls in the Eliminator later today at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.