Captain Rashid Khan says MI Cape Town are determined to maintain their outstanding recent SA20 record at Newlands.
The defending champions begin the fourth season of the SA20 with a blockbuster clash against Durban’s Super Giants on Friday.
MI Cape Town were unbeaten across five matches at home last season, transforming Newlands into a fortress, and Rashid & Co will look to keep that record going.
The home side is packed with a host of superstars such as Proteas Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch, along with internationals Khan, Trent Boult and new arrival Nicholas Pooran.
“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,” said Rashid.
“I think what we did right was we played collectively as a team and we took the responsibility at certain points of the game.
“Every player is well experienced, and they will adjust themselves with the condition and the position of the team quite quickly.”
Rashid expects the new players to integrate quickly into the MI set-up, including Pooran.
“He 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 a kind of like 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.”
Durban’s Super Giants have revamped their squad and are quite capable of being the Grinch of Christmas past by spoiling MI Cape Town’s homecoming.
New captain Aiden Markram, who has won the competition twice previously with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, brings a wealth of experience and a winning mentality to Lance Klusener’s team.
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DSG are not short on star quality either, with Markram joined by England’s former T20 World Cup-winning captain Jos Buttler, New Zealand legend Kane Williamson, and former Proteas white-ball star Heinrich Klaasen.
West Indian Sunil Narine is not available yet, but DSG have Proteas Test spinner Simon Harmer to call on, as well as Afghanistan mystery bowler Noor Ahmad.
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“There is a really nice balance in the set-up and we have a nice group of guys. We have some really good all-rounders, mixed with two to three world-class players with the likes of Buttler, Klaasen and co,” Markram said.
“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 of cricket, so it’s obviously a new and exciting challenge for us in a competition with a lot of new faces.”
Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportzpics
