As they prepare for their opening match in the SA20, MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan is relying on the experienced players in his squad to adapt to the conditions and maintain their strong performance in this edition of the competition.
Rashid Khan aims to extend his team’s impressive record at Newlands during their opening SA20 Season 4 match against Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) on Friday. The defending champions have gone unbeaten in five home matches in Season 3, turning Newlands into a fortress and leading their campaign to a title-winning success.
The home side is stacked with superstars including Proteas Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Corbin Bosch, along with internationals Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, and new arrival Nicholas Pooran, who are all set to entertain MI Cape Town fans.
Captain Rashid Khan believes his team is ready to showcase their skills after claiming the title last season.
“There was more pressure last year than this year, you know, we came at the bottom twice in a row and to come up from that and win the trophy was a big thing for us as a team,” Rashid Khan said.
“I think what we did right was we played collectively as a team, and we took responsibility at certain points of the game. Every player is well experienced, and they will adjust themselves to the condition and the position of the team quite quickly. Everyone is so professional; they have played so much cricket around the world, and I think it won’t be that difficult for them to acclimatise.”
MI Cape Town are eager to kick off the new campaign on a strong note, with Rashid Khan anticipating Pooran will hit the ground running with his new team.
“He (Pooran) is going to bring lots of energy to the game,” he said. “We know how dangerous and how good a cricketer he is. He is the kind of person who comes in smashing lots of sixes, you will see. He’s a guy full of energy and entertainment, and I am sure he is going to love his time here.”
Durban’s Super Giants have revamped their squad and are more than capable of spoiling MI Cape Town’s homecoming.
New captain Aiden Markram, a two-time winner with Sunrisers Eastern Cape, brings a wealth of experience and a winning mentality to Lance Klusener’s team.
The Super Giants feature an impressive mix of talent, with Markram joined by England’s former T20 World Cup-winning captain Jos Buttler. The batting lineup includes New Zealand legend Kane Williamson and former Proteas white-ball hitter Heinrich Klaasen.
Although West Indian Sunil Narine is currently unavailable, the Super Giants have recruited Proteas Test hero Simon Harmer to enhance a spin attack that already includes Afghanistan mystery bowler Noor Ahmad.
“There is a really nice balance in the setup, and we have a nice group of guys. We have some really good all-rounders, mixed with 2-3 world-class players like Buttler, Klaasen and co,” Markram stated.
“I think a lot of it comes down to finding our strength as a team and our identity and what gives us the best chance to play good cricket and win games, so it’s obviously a new and exciting challenge for us in a competition with a lot of new faces.”