MI Cape Town will look to keep their playoff hopes alive in a crucial SA20 clash against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Newlands on Friday.
The defending champions are chasing a bonus-point win to ensure they head to St George’s Park on Sunday for the return fixture with everything still to play for.
They will, however, have to do so without captain Rashid Khan, who has departed for international duty with Afghanistan.
How they stand in #SA20 after #PCvPR pic.twitter.com/FDq5bDfKfM
— SA Cricket magazine (@SACricketmag) January 15, 2026
In a bid to spark a late surge, MI Cape Town have turned to a familiar face, bringing in West Indies T20 great Kieron Pollard.
Pollard is no stranger to the Newlands atmosphere, having previously featured for MICT in 2024. During that campaign, he struck 187 runs at a strike rate of 188 and also claimed four wickets.
His return adds significant experience and firepower, with Pollard just 101 runs short of overtaking fellow West Indian Chris Gayle as the leading run-scorer in T20 cricket history – a milestone he could reach during his stay in Cape Town.
Pollard will be hoping MICT get the opportunity to bat first, particularly given their struggles when chasing this season, having fallen short in four run-chases.
“It’s obviously a concern if we’re coming short on the chasing side of things,” said top-order batsman Reeza Hendricks. “There’s still a lot to play for in these two games, so hopefully we can put it together.”
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The Sunrisers, meanwhile, have already secured their place in the playoffs following a bonus-point win over the Joburg Super Kings at St George’s Park earlier this week.
However, the two-time champions have no intention of easing off as they target a top-two finish and a place in the first qualifier playoff at Kingsmead next Wednesday.
“We’re looking forward to the game,” said in-form all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy. “It’s just about making sure we’re up for the business end, finish the league stage really well and carry some momentum through to the playoffs.”
Friday’s match starts at 5:30pm.
