MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan stated that his team faces less pressure in the upcoming SA20 season starting on Friday, following their trophy victory in the previous edition of the competition.
Title Defence Begins
The defending champions return to Newlands on Friday, aiming to kick off their title defence against a revamped Durban’s Super Giants (DSG). Alongside Rashid, the team features Proteas stars Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Corbin Bosch, as well as Trent Boult and new recruit Nicholas Pooran.
Confidence from Previous Victory
“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. I think what we did right was we played collectively as a team and we took the responsibility at certain points of the game,” Rashid said in a SA20 release ahead of the opening match.
He also expressed confidence in Pooran’s impact on the team. “He (Pooran) is going to bring lots of energy to the game. We know how dangerous and how good a cricketer he is. He is a kind of a 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.”
New Leadership for DSG
Meanwhile, DSG has appointed Aiden Markram as their new captain. Markram has won the competition twice previously with Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) and brings a wealth of experience and a winning mentality to Lance Klusener’s coached team.
DSG also boasts a star-studded squad including England’s 2022 T20 World Cup-winning captain Jos Buttler, New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, and former Proteas white-ball big-hitter Heinrich Klaasen.
Although West Indies off-spin all-rounder Sunil Narine is currently unavailable, DSG has strengthened their spinning department by recruiting Proteas Test hero Simon Harmer, who joins Afghanistan mystery bowler Noor Ahmad.
Building Team Identity
“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. 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,” said Markram.