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Not the game we were after. Not the performance we were after. Not the result we were after. We aren’t quite ending this Highveld leg on a high.&nbsp;A good first half with the ball&nbsp;With The Capitals at 89/4 in the 13th over, we really had the game in our grasp. Kagiso Rabada had struck twice, George Linde and Rashid Khan once each. But Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford had a big partnership, and some big overs at the death lifted them to 185/6 in their 20 overs.&nbsp;A rough start with the bat&nbsp;It was a new ball pitch. And it was one of those rare days when the Rassie-Ryan opening combo didn’t fire. The new ball did its bit and MICT were in trouble at 55/6 at the halfway stage. The task ahead looked daunting……But Reeza tried, hard&nbsp;It wasn’t enough. Reeza Hendricks stitched a partnership at first with Jason Smith, steadied the innings, and then struck a few big ones to finish with 68 off 50 balls. Although it helped us take a smaller hit with the net run-rate, it couldn’t quite get us over the line.&nbsp;So what’s lined up next are two games with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. They are the team to beat. We will also be back in Newlands with a Blue and Gold army right behind us for the first of the two games. Let’s play for the Mother City!&nbsp;The equation is simple now: just win everything, preferably with bonus points, and hope some of the other results go our way. We needn’t look too far behind for inspiration. MI New York were in a very similar situation in June 2025. They never left their belief. And ended up winning the MLC!

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PCvMICT report: Reeza fights, but sadly, it isn’t our day

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This has been some second half. A battle-hardened team that peaks when it matters after a slightly off start. A team that brings home the results when their backs are to the wall. Two wins on the bounce, getting clinical by the game. One more here with a bonus point and a legit top four spot can be&nbsp; MI Cape Town’s.&nbsp;We’ve moved on the road from Johannesburg to Centurion. The Pretoria Capitals were the side we played on New Year’s Eve at Newlands, and it wasn’t the ideal way for us to get into end 2025. This week of 2026 has been kind. And we are determined to set that memory right.&nbsp;What: Pretoria Capitals vs MI Cape Town&nbsp;When: January 12, 2026 | 5:30pm local time, 9:00pm IST&nbsp;Where: SuperSport Park, Centurion&nbsp;What to expect: This is a chasing ground. This is a sixes ground. High altitude, a short square boundary, and we should be in for another run-fest.&nbsp;

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Match 8 | PCvMICT preview: Riding the WWave in Centurion

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On the back of a stunning 60-ball 113 that set the tone for the match and lifted MI Cape Town to a winning total of 243, Ryan Rickelton, the man of the moment, was at the post-match press conference. Excerpts..&nbsp;On a century coming in a winning cause&nbsp;Thank God we won the game (laughs). Nice to go back to back wins. We’ve lacked momentum in this tournament. If we can start finding it now, it will be great. But we’ve put ourselves under a bit of pressure to be in this spot. But awesome to get out there and put in a performance. We aren’t complete yet, but we are showing signs of improvement. Hopefully we are on a bit of a roll now and can get some wins under our belt.&nbsp;Importance of gaining momentum after the last game&nbsp;Really big. In a rain affected game, it gets difficult. When we came back after the break, there was a bit of urgency which we lacked through the season. We had that in moments again today. We are definitely taking the right steps. We’ve got two now. We need to try and make it three or four in a row. We’ve got some tough opposition. Pretoria Capitals are a very good side. And then Sunrisers are at the top. Still a lot of work to do. If we can brush up on a few areas and keep getting better, hopefully we can try and win a few more.&nbsp;Team meeting after the first half of the tournament&nbsp;We always have our strategy meetings with the senior guys and the staff. The leadership group spoke about what it would take to turn around. We worked out that if we are to win this tournament we had six or seven games and we need seven Man of the Matches, which would come from the seven of us. It’s just trying to be sharper and just make the right decisions. We have been poor in different stages of the tournament in putting together a complete game. The whole purpose of the senior group is that if we are to win this tournament, it has to come from the six-seven of us. If we are going to win it, six or seven of us have to come to the party. We are taking the right steps. We have such great players in our group. It’s just trying to improve what we are trying to do, making sure we are doing the right things and guys are putting in big individual performances.&nbsp;On missing out on South Africa’s T20 WC squad&nbsp;I’m here to play my cricket and win games for this team. After this I’ll fall back to the Lions and win the four day cup with the Lions. I’m pretty chill with it. I want to find my rhythm with the bat and win games for my team.&nbsp;On finding form and rhythm&nbsp;It’s such a big mental game. That’s my biggest challenge. In India a couple of months ago, I wasn’t sure what I was trying to do. Trying to work out my game around that is one of the more difficult things. In India I thought I was batting nicely, I just didn’t have anything to return for it. It’s just the simple things of life, you come back home, experience your family and friends around you, get to enjoy South Africa and being home can change the mental state. When you jump from team to team, it gives you a different perspective. I’ve had that when I come to this team. It’s probably the team that gets the best out of me. It frees me up in the way I want to play. Takes me to the level I want to operate at 90% of the time. I enjoy playing for this team, enjoy the players we have, enjoy the group. I enjoy life in Cape Town as well.&nbsp;On Robbie Peterson, the Head Coach&nbsp;I’ve only experienced Robbie with this team, not in domestic cricket. Sometimes I feel he sells himself short. He’s so experienced, so knowledgeable, specially in South African conditions. He has coached around the world in different franchises. He has played around the world in different franchises. His man management skill is really good. The guys buy into what he is saying. He is very calm, very relaxed and strategic. We haven’t quite done him justice in stages of the tournament and perhaps in the year before last. But we all rally around playing for him and the support staff.&nbsp;Thoughts on the pitch and the par score&nbsp;I felt it came on quite nicely with the new ball. You saw some of them turning quite a lot. There was definitely room for a lot more of those deliveries in the game. Luckily Rassie got us off to a really nice start and I could work around the pace of the wicket. Wanderers is a tricky one because sometimes the more you play on this wicket it gets better and better. You look at it and are a bit unsure, but that is the best part about having guys who play here. They know what it is going to do, touchwood, you kind of know how to play on it. I thought teams were a bit slow in adapting what to do with the ball. I don’t think it was a 240 but maybe a 180-190 would have been a good score. Glad we were able to push through and find our win today.&nbsp;

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“MICT frees me up and brings out the best in me”: Ryan Rickelton 

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Here’s how things stand. MI Cape Town are currently placed at number six on the points table. A win with a bonus point in this game would ensure an entry into the top four. That’s how close this tournament has been. That’s how strong a chance we have here. For that, there’s just one goal: win everything.&nbsp;There’s some good momentum we found in the previous game. The first W was satisfying, but the fact that it came through a strong comeback with the ball was even more pleasing. This is the reverse clash against the Joburg Super Kings. There’s a thing about teams in the MI Universe where they start off slowly. But come the business end, come the must-win zone, they become winning machines. This is Cape Town’s time. This is when we start to peak.&nbsp;What: Joburg Super Kings vs MI Cape Town&nbsp;When: January 10, 2026 | 5:30pm local time, 9:00pm IST Where: The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg&nbsp; What to expect: The Bullring has seen some inclement weather over the last week, with two of JSK’s games being washed out as well. The forecast is pretty good for Saturday though. With the altitude and bounce on offer, sixes are never in shortage. At MICT, six-hitters are never in shortage!

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Match 7 | JSKvMICT preview: On the road, with the momentum

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On the back of MI Cape Town getting four points, thanks largely to his 15-ball 33, Nicholas Pooran was at the post-match press conference breaking down the match, his innings, his prep and much more. Excerpts..&nbsp;On getting the first win on the boardIt’s a relief to get some points on the board to be honest. Even for myself, really happy that I could contribute. Four games, I haven’t scored many runs to my potential. It is one of the reasons we are in this situation as well, to be honest. Tournament has just started for us and we hope we can gather some momentum here on the road.&nbsp;Plans for the next game&nbsp;We are not thinking too far ahead to be honest. We are trying to take it game by game. Every game is a different situation for us. The rain was around today and we had to adapt to that. Massive win going onto the road as well. We have a couple of days off and it gives us the opportunity.&nbsp;On Jason SmithA lot of talent and potential there. He hits the ball like a West Indian for sure (laughs). There is a lot for him to learn as well. This is a T20 game and it is inconsistent. We are going to get criticized a lot for performances, but for him the most important thing is to learn as fat as possible. He’s just selected for the World Cup and heading into India where conditions would be really favourable to him where spin is going to be bowled. He has everything that can make him do well in those conditions. Really happy to see him smashing it for us.&nbsp;On batting at number three&nbsp;I always prefer batting higher up the order. We had a conversation that I would bat at number three today. The shorter format worked out in our favour where I could just have an early swing at the bowlers.&nbsp;Thoughts on his batting form&nbsp;When I hit the ball as hard as possible, I am not batting well. Normally the guys say it is the other way around. I am happy the ball is going over the roof, which is most important. I have been practicing a lot over the last ten years. I have played over 400 T20 games. I have played all over the world. I am just trying to get better in every game. Coming here to South Africa gave me the opportunity to understand these conditions and stamp my authority. For me it is not only about hitting sixes. I pride myself on playing the situation the right way. I know a lot of people see that I hit a lot of sixes but they tend to forget the batsmanship part of it. I want to continue to get consistent and play the situation as well as possible.&nbsp;On the pitches in this year’s SA20I am coming from the Caribbean, all these wickets are good (laughs). The Paarl wicket was good to bat on. Even in the last game, yes we got bowled out for 88 but we didn’t apply any batsmanship as well. If we did apply ourselves and we would have been having a different conversation. We are in this position today because we haven’t taken our responsibility as individual players. But the pitches here are lovely.On his matchupsJust depends on what is required, who the bowler is, whether there is a matchup. I look to be aggressive against the left arm orthodox. I believe that is my matchup. It gives me the opportunity to strike at 200 or 300. It’s like food, if you don’t eat it, you aren’t getting it again. So I decided to eat my food (laughs). Yes I love to hit sixes, that’s what they pay me for.&nbsp;On his preparation over the years&nbsp;It’s a lot of hard work. What I do now is just a reflection of all the hard work I have put in over the years. I have been really inconsistent as a batter. There were times I could have hit spin, there were times I could have hit pace, but the other one didn’t work out. For me, just staying consistent in my process and preparation and as time goes along, I understand what is required of me in situations. I just apply myself. I prepare myself for all lengths. When the situation arises in the game, I am ready to apply myself.&nbsp;On the quality of the SA20 compared to other leagues&nbsp;Being a part of it, playing different leagues, it looks beautiful on television, but it is much better when you are actually playing. When you play at the Newlands and see the Table Mountain, it is every cricketer’s dream. The atmosphere here all over South Africa, fans love their cricket here. The South Africans know their cricket. They don’t bash you as much. When you are standing on the boundary, they support you. The standard is very high. The international players are of good quality and the local players are of a high level as well.&nbsp;Whether the SA20 is good preparation going into the World CupPlaying cricket going into a World Cup is wonderful, but there is a down side. Players need to recover and in this tournament it comes thick and fast. You play every other day. That’s a worry for me going into a World Cup where guys can be mentally tired. There is an opportunity for them to get injured as well. The conditions are completely different as well going to India. It might be good, it might be bad, my advice to all these guys going into the World Cup – just be careful. It’s a tough tournament. It is a high standard tournament as well. Players put their bodies on the line. You never know when you could dive and get injured. You never know when you could run into bowl and pull your hamstring. You never know when a ball could hit your ribs and break it.&nbsp;

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“The tournament has just started for us, hope to gather momentum on the road”: Nicholas Pooran

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Oh we’ve waited long. Six matches in, battling the rain in Cape Town, a stop-start game, but finally, she’s here. Our first win. The Newlands Faithful stood by us through thick and thin, for this moment. The roar when Karim Janat hit the winning runs was proof enough! Let’s gooooo!!Jason Smith, you beauty!He walked in with MICT with the game in balance at 89/4, needing 39 runs in 19 balls. And boom. The first ball was smoked for a six. 26 were now needed in the final two overs. Boom, Boom. Two sixes, and the game was done. A nine-ball 22-run cameo to seal the deal.&nbsp;Nicolas P66666ran15 balls | 33 runs | 5 sixes. The crowd who stayed back braving the rain and the long delays, were in for a proper treat. Nicky P was giving them that. Adding impetus to the run chase after Ryan Rickelton fell early, he went on a six-hitting rampage, putting MICT’s chase firmly on track. With Rassie van der Dussen dropping anchor and batting through the innings, this was just the ice-fire partnership we needed.&nbsp;Rain went and momentum came&nbsp;It was a stop-start affair at Newlands, with the match starting late, stopping after six overs for a lengthy delay and then getting reduced to 12 overs. JSK, who were on 69/2 after the first break, were completely derailed by our bowlers post resumption. Rashid Khan, with Reeza Hendricks taking a brilliant catch by the boundary, sent the dangerous Faf du Plessis packing. And then Corbin Bosch took over, with his three-fer to ensure the target set was well within reach.&nbsp;We’ve waited through the first half. The second half has started with a bang. The foot is on the pedal. Let’s bring it home..&nbsp;

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MICTvJSK report: THERE COMES THE W!!! Less goooo

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It’s an MI Family thing to start slow, build momentum and storm into the playoffs. Across teams, across leagues, we’ve been there, done that, and done it successfully. Well, in the SA20, it’s that time of the league for MI Cape Town. Now is when we have to start winning, and then win everything.&nbsp;We’ve had a tough start, there’s no getting away from that. We are coming off a disappointing performance on Sunday. But up next are the Joburg Super Kings: and Yellow versus Blue is always RED hot. It’s a franchise that always brings out the best in our game. They are currently at the top of the table as well and are yet to lose a game. It would be a massive confidence booster to pull off a heist with the Newlands Faithful right behind us!&nbsp;What: MI Cape Town vs Joburg Super Kings&nbsp;When: January 6. 2025 | 5:30pm local time, 9:00pm ISTWhere: Newlands, Cape Town&nbsp;What to expect: Everything’s a bit unexpected at the moment. The first game at Newlands was a run-fest, the previous one was a bit sluggish. But this one’s a night game which should make it better for batting. But all in all, MI Cape Town are all ready to give it their everything!&nbsp;

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Match 6 | MICTvJSK preview: Second half – Eye on the ball in mission FRESH START

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An evening to forget. It just simply wasn’t our day. Nothing went right. And the result was a disappointing finish. This first half of the SA20 hasn’t gone our way, from close losses to a washout to a heavy defeat today..“Quite disappointing, to be honest. Not the kind of cricket champion teams play. Good it happened earlier rather than later and we still have an opportunity to qualify. We didn't play as good as we can. This franchise has a brand of cricket that we didn't do. We were a little bit defensive and got stuck,” said Rashid Khan to sum up the game in the post-match chat.&nbsp;A bad lower-order collapse&nbsp;Losing six wickets for just eight runs is never nice. Sadly, MI Cape Town were on the wrong side of this today. At 80/4 in the 16th over, there was some hope of a strong finish to get us up to around 130, which could have been a fighting total on this pitch. But in a quest to up the ante, the batters fell, and the team bundled out for 88.&nbsp;Boult does Boulty things&nbsp;He might have not been among the early wickets in the tournament until this game, something he’s made a living out of, but Trent Boult was bang on the money, cleaning up the man in form, Lhuan dre Pretorius for a duck. It was just the start MICT needed defending a low total. Alas, it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t to be.&nbsp;We are the defending champions. The MI Family knows what it takes to bounce back when everyone writes them off. One win is all we need for the MICT Spirit to kick in and go on a roll. We will learn from this and come back hard.&nbsp;

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MICTvPR report: A tough night, a tough first half

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This is a blip. There is no reason to lose hope. The MI Family is known to pull off miracles when people write them off, and Corbin Bosch certainly believes in this squad. Here he is, at the post-match press conference, sharing his thoughts. Excerpts..&nbsp;Thoughts on the game&nbsp;Not our best performance today but it is a long competition. There is still five games for us to win and I have no doubt the boys will be disappointed today, but we have the experience and magnificent boys in our squad to turn this around.&nbsp;On the way the wicket played outThe wicket today wasn’t as good as the one we scored 200 on. Both sides could see it wasn’t a 200-wicket. But it definitely wasn’t a 90-wicket.&nbsp;On being picked for South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad&nbsp;It’s been a surreal experience. You don’t believe it happens till it actually happens. I have played some nice cricket over the last 12 months but it is nerve-wracking waiting for that phone call or that message. It is unbelievable. There is no better competition to get you ready for the World Cup than this. The players here are incredible from all teams. There is no easy fixture here. Any team can beat any team on a given day which is nice. You have to be at your best. It is nice to play against these guys because come World Cup time, you are going to be playing the best of the best. This forces you to raise your level getting into the World Cup.&nbsp;On his bowling performance&nbsp;Obviously didn’t start the competition hot. But I am getting confidence. It is my first time playing at home in 12 months. I have played a lot in the sub-continent where you bowl shorter. Adjusting to that, but it is amazing and I am just happy to be finding some rhythm again. Over the past two games it is coming together nicely. I just need to package it all together and I should be ready to go.&nbsp;Season 3 vs Season 4Last year, a lot of things just went our way. People were taking blinder catches but this year we haven’t been on the button. We batted nicely until this game. Our top two has been phenomenal again, which has put us in good stead. The middle order hasn’t quite come off the way we wanted to, but as a bowling unit, we haven’t quite clicked like we did last year. Some guys are finding form, myself included. This competition, if you are finding form, can take you apart. It is a ruthless competition. It demands the best from you. If you are not at the best on the day, teams are going to get after you. Maybe from a fielding and a bowling standpoint, we haven’t been as spot on as we would have liked, but I have no doubt that we are going to turn it around shortly.&nbsp;Plans for the remaining games&nbsp;Cricket is a funny game. Sunrisers, last year, lost three or four games early on and ended up playing us in the final. We’ve got to take it one game at a time. This competition is long. If we can get on a good run, winning the next four, five games on the trot, we can hit those playoffs running red hot, and then a lot of teams will fear us. But it is a lot to do before that.&nbsp;On what the boys need to do to bounce back&nbsp;Everyone is different. Each individual will reflect. Those who need to have a hit will have a hit. For most part, it is about breaking that momentum. All it takes is one good game of cricket. I reckon we’ve got the players and the people in the background staff to turn this around. I fully believe in the players and the squad to turn this around. When it matters, the guys will show what the MI family is all about.&nbsp;Looking forward to the second half of the league stage&nbsp;It all starts by winnings a game. At this point of time, we have to beat JSK on Tuesday. They are playing some good cricket at the moment. It all starts there. Cricket is a funny game. With a little bit of momentum, who knows, in the blink of an eye, we can be the playoffs in red hot form. It all starts with the game on Tuesday. We’ve got to hit Jo’burg nice and hard and take it from there.&nbsp;

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“It is a long competition, I fully believe in our squad to turn this around”: Corbin Bosch

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Two so-close-but-no-cigar games and a washout later, we are back home, this time in 2026, and we cannot wait to spread the cheer.&nbsp;There’s no time to mourn. In less than 48 hours, MI Cape Town will have their chance at redemption. The one-run loss really stings, but we are now at Newlands for the reverse clash, and we aren’t resting easy until we have a W against our name.&nbsp;It’s just these tiny moments that we need to get right. Our batters are in top form, the bowlers have found their straps, and with a slight rub of luck, we get the strong smell of a victory roll. Remember, nobody remembers how your started if you finish it right. All we need is a foot in the door. Trust the MICT spirit to break it down.&nbsp;What: MI Cape Town vs Paarl Royals&nbsp;When: January 4, 2026 | 3:30pm local time, 7pm IST&nbsp;Where: Newlands, Cape Town&nbsp;What to expect: Redemption. Five points. And a wonderful Sunday evening by the Table Mountain watching the setting sun paint the sky in our Blue and Gold!&nbsp;

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Match 5 | MICTvPR preview: It’s never about how you start, it’s all about how you finish

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Absolute dominance on display at the Wanderers! This was a ground known for sixes. We are a team known for our six-hitters. And the fusion worked wonders. The packed crowd at the Bullring were in for a treat as our batters made merry to post a whopping 243/3 in 20 overs.&nbsp;After four losses and a washout, it’s nice reading W, W. Skipper Rashid Khan echoed similar thoughts in the post-match chat. “We had a very slow start and it happens. You know, sometimes you do have all the great players, but it doesn't go your way. Everything goes against you. But it is happening now and we got that kind of momentum,” he said.&nbsp;The RRocking comboRassie van der Dussen: 65 runs | 32 balls | 4 fours | 6 sixes&nbsp;Ryan Rickelton: 113 runs | 60 balls | 8 fours | 9 sixes&nbsp;A 129-run opening standThis was the game. This was the partnership that hit JSK so hard. The duo have been exceptional over the last three years and tonight, they just took it up a notch. Some brutal hitting in the powerplay, a strong platform, and MICT had a massive first innings total calling.&nbsp;Some more R, now Rabada&nbsp;The experienced Kagiso Rabada ensured there were no surprises in the chase, killing the game in the powerplay itself, teaming up with George Linde to reduce JSK to 35/3 inside the fifth over. Although James Vince and Dian Forrester struck a few blows towards the end, they were always behind the eight ball, and MICT eventually won comfortably by 36 runs.&nbsp;Okay, that’s us on 10 points now. One bonus point win and we will sneak into the top four. That’s how tight this league has been and that’s how dangerous an MICT side with momentum will prove to be. Kaapstad, let’s bring it home!&nbsp;

JSKvMICT report: Ryan, Rassie, RRuthless!

PCvMICT report: Reeza fights, but sadly, it isn’t our day

Match 8 | PCvMICT preview: Riding the WWave in Centurion

“MICT frees me up and brings out the best in me”: Ryan Rickelton