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Amidst a somber mood in the dressing room as MI Cape Town couldn’t make it to the Playoffs following the seven-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Head Coach Robbie Peterson, was at the post-match press conference analyzing the season and looking at some positives for us to take out. Excerpts..&nbsp;On this year’s SA20 campaign&nbsp;We lacked fluidity and consistency throughout the competition, initially with the ball and then with the bat later on. We never managed to get on a roll and piece together. A disappointing season. A lot for us to reflect on, do a little bit of soul searching. After the high of last year, we got humbled this year. We’ve got to take it on the chin and come back next year.&nbsp;On sticking with the core from Season 3I think the temptation is to always go with the same players. You want to reward them and show some faith in them for the way they performed a year ago. We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and reflect and see where we can come back better as a squad. We need to see what we can tinker with. This is the first cycle of an Auction. It happened in the first season where we had to tinker and finally get to the formula. And it looks like we might have to do it again going forward.&nbsp;Thoughts on bowling Reeza Hendricks&nbsp;We saw the pitch was quite slow. We saw Quinny (Quinton de Kock) struggle with off-spin. Reeza was always a part of the plan to bowl at some stage of the competition. We saw last year that he got handy breakthroughs for us. We like to throw it to him a little bit here and there. Reeza bowls for his domestic team. I beg to differ that it cost us the game. Reeza has bowled for a long time for this team.&nbsp;On missing Rashid Khan and Dane Piedt coming into the teamYou’re always going to miss our captain. We lost him two games ago. Dane Piedt has been terrific with his bowling. Yes, we did miss Rash (Rashid) but we gained a capable one in Dane, who showed what he can do when he gets an opportunity.&nbsp;On the positives to take for MICT out of the tournament&nbsp;There are a lot of young players in this squad. They have shown how much they have matured and learnt to prepare for games. There is a lot of exuberance of youth in the background. But yeah, the positives, Ryan Rickelton got runs in the tournament. Reeza ended the tournament exceptionally well. Rassie was also one of the top run-scorers. We just couldn’t get it all tied up together. And once we got onto the back foot, it was very tough to get momentum.&nbsp;On his learnings as a coach&nbsp;A lot of learning. You never know it all as a coach. If you know it all, you probably shouldn’t be coaching. A lot of learnings, a lot of improvements. It’s not like only the players can learn. Even I took a lot of learnings out of this competition certainly. &nbsp;

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“We’ll take it on the chin and come back next year”: Robbie Peterson 

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We might be ending this on a disappointed note. This wasn’t the dream.&nbsp;It started with a heartbreak at Newlands against Durban’s Super Giants where Ryan Rickelton played one of the finest knocks this tournament has seen. The reverse fixture at Kingsmead was washed out. After a game to forget against the Pretoria Capitals, another game that we were in control of in the chase against Paarl Royals, was lost off the last ball, by one run. The reverse fixture, again, was a collapse on our part.&nbsp;It was a tough first half. Just the points from the rain-affected loss to show in the points table. But this wasn’t a team to throw in the towel. We fought. We roared. With peak MI Spirit coming to the fore, we came back from behind in a curtailed game against the Joburg Super Kings at home, went away and won by a bigger margin against them. We had found the momentum. Sadly, a defeat against the Capitals derailed our storm.&nbsp;It put us in a territory where we simply had to win the last two games to stand a chance of qualification. We won the first, in a tense run chase against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. It meant we had to win the last game with a bonus point. We tried. Gave it our all. But it wasn’t to be. It wasn’t our day. This wasn’t our year.&nbsp;This Blue and Gold might be down right now, but we know the power it possesses to bounce back from the dead. We are proud of this team. We are proud of the fight they showed. We are proud of the grit they displayed. Until next season…This is MI City. This is MI Team. This is MI Pride. We are MI Cape Town.&nbsp;

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Dankie for everything, Kaapstad

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There was every ounce of fight, of grit, of determination to make it through, but this end wasn’t what we’d visualized. We fall short. The dream ends, but the pride we have in this side stays intact. It was a tough game. It was a tough fight. But Season 4 wasn’t to be. The defence of our crown wasn’t to be..The equation:&nbsp;MI Cape Town, put into bat first, set the Sunrisers Eastern Cape a target of 149. But realistically, since MICT had to win with a bonus point to stay alive, we had to restrict SEC to under 118.&nbsp;Hendricks milks his purple patch&nbsp;It may have taken him a bit of time to find his rhythm in this tournament, but over the last few games, he’s been playing some solid hands in the middle order. Tonight was no different. With the R-R opening combo having one of their rare off days, he formed an R-R of his own with Rassie, dabbling between being the aggressor and the anchor to bat through the innings for an unbeaten 44-ball 70.&nbsp;Linde goes 6, 6, 6George Linde, adding another feather to his recent batting prowess, provided MICT with just the cameo needed. He was on 1 off 6 balls, 4 off 10. When Chris Green came on to bowl the 16th over, he’d recovered a bit to get to 12 off 13. And boom. A hat-trick of sixes, lifting the team’s spirits up on a spin friendly track.&nbsp;A cat and mouse game until the end&nbsp;While SEC lost just one wicket until the 18th over, our bowlers never fell behind in the game. We kept stitching in the dot balls. We kept the scoring in check. We took the game really deep. Alas, it wasn’t to be.&nbsp;We know this hurts. It will take time to heal. The results didn’t go our way. We ran out of luck in a few games. But once the smog clears, what’ll remain is our appreciation for the fight this side has shown all season!“We tried our best. We tried to come together, but it wasn't meant to be. And it's not one that we're going to really try to dig deep and reflect and look for answers now. The tournament is done for us now, but it's all about learning from this and understanding what we need to do to come back next year and be successful,” said Nicholas Pooran.&nbsp;

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SECvMICT report: That would be the end :(

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Three teams have qualified. Three are still in with a chance. One spot, three contenders. The goal is set: One of the results we needed to go our way has, with the Joburg Super Kings losing their game to the Pretoria Capitals. It’s now on us.&nbsp;What MI Cape Town need to qualify:Step 1: Win with a Bonus Point over the Sunrisers Eastern Cape and a margin big enough to go past Durban’s Super Giants’ net run-rate&nbsp;Step 2: Hope that Joburg Super Kings lose their last league gameThe MI family has had a history of getting a foot in the playoffs door when everyone assumed it to have closed. And then slamming the door down to storm towards the trophy. This season promises to be no different. The boys would be super motivated to carry on the good work from the last game against the Sunrisers and put on some entertainment!&nbsp;What: Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs MI Cape TownWhen: January 18, 2026 | 3:30pm local time, 7:00pm IST&nbsp;Where: St. George’s Park, Gqeberha&nbsp;What to expect: A must win game and the peak MI Family Spirit on full display. Lesss goooo..&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Match 10 | SECvMICT preview: Win. Win Big. Win with a Bonus Point. 

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After executing a calm, collected 18-ball 31 that got MI Cape Town through in a nervy chase against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Geroge Linde was at the post-match press conference breaking down his innings, the bonus point plan and his how he’s worked on his game in general. Excerpts.. &nbsp;Thoughts on the matchIt was obviously a tough match. They’ve got a very good team, an unbelievable bowling attack and didn’t make it easy for us. Lucky we got the win today.&nbsp;On his knock tonightIt is always cool to contribute to the team. I was thinking of the bonus point at that time. It didn’t work out but just glad we did well as a team this time.&nbsp;On Kieron Pollard coming into the teamHe hasn’t been here long. He has had just one training session yesterday. To have someone like him in the dressing room, who has played over 700 T20 games, to learn from him, to see the calmness he brings into the squad, you could see it in the way we played and the way Nicky (Pooran) captained. Obviously Pollard was here before and I’ve got a good relationship with him. It’s cool to have him here.&nbsp;Discussions about going for the bonus pointWe did talk about the bonus point at strategy time. We thought about going for the bonus point but obviously they’ve got good bowlers and if we just went for the bonus point, we could have lost the game and it doesn’t look good. We wanted to put pressure on JSK, if they lose tomorrow, we’ve still got a chance. The most important thing was to win this game today.&nbsp;On the learnings for the team this season&nbsp;This tournament is a quick tournament. There is not a lot of time to relax and think deep about the game where you have to make choices quickly. We’ve learnt a lot of lessons. They way we bowled today, you could see the guys were hungry to succeed for the franchise.&nbsp;On being in South Africa’s World Cup squad&nbsp;It was obviously very special to me. There’s a lot of cricket to be played before we board that plane. But once we board that plane on the way to the World Cup, it will all start sinking in. We have a great squad. It’s a great opportunity to win the World Cup. I’ve got a good feeling about it.&nbsp;On his batting formWith the bat, I thought if you give yourself a little bit of a chance, it makes it easier. I felt calm today for some reason. I knew what I wanted to do. Maybe in the other games, I was a little bit all over the show. I have struggled with the bat in the last two months. I have been working hard on it. This knock will give me a little bit more confidence. I am quite harsh on myself at times. I have definitely learnt a lot in this comp and hopefully the good form continues.&nbsp;His preparation ahead of a game&nbsp;To be fair, there is always pressure in T20 cricket. It is what you make of it. I have played the game for a long time now. I try not to think about it too far ahead. I try and think about it day by day. When I have a day off, I try and play golf and forget about everything. Once I get back to the hotel, I start focussing again.&nbsp;

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“You could see Pollard’s calmness in the way we played today”: George Linde 

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“This franchise is never out of the tournament till the last game,” said Nicholas Pooran after the game.&nbsp;We stay alive. Oh, this was nervy. A low-scoring thriller, sealed by some late cameos. We’ll take these four points. We now need some results to go in our favour, but we have our sights firmly on the fourth spot on the points table. We know the equation, the first box is ticked, now onto Sunday in the reverse fixture to check the second..&nbsp;Polly power on arrivalInstant impact. We know Kieron Pollard does it in an innings, but he’s done it on arrival here in South Africa, impressing with a 44-ball 20 run blitz when the asking rate was getting tricky. And he was taking on the baton from George Linde…..who had just gone 6, 4, 4 to turn the tables&nbsp;MI Cape Town were 81/3 in 13 overs. Reeza Hendricks was playing the anchor’s role. Linde was just warming up. Adam Milne came on to bowl. And boom.13.1: SIX:&nbsp;Smashed over the bowler’s head&nbsp;13.2: FOUR:&nbsp;Backs away and carves it over extra cover&nbsp;13.3: FOUR: Pulled away into mid-wicket&nbsp;And just like that, the pressure was set free. The stage was set for the Polly show.We’ve missed you, Boulty and first ball wicketsFull, swinging away, forcing the batter to drive. Quinton de Kock fell for it, got the outside-edge and the keeper did the rest. The first ball of the innings, and Trent Boult had struck to signal MICT’s intentions in a must-win game.&nbsp;And Bosch’s four-feathered performance&nbsp;He’s been adding feather after feather to his hat over the last year, but tonight, he added four of them, picking wickets at each stage of the game: the powerplay, middle overs, the death, and ensuring the Sunrisers Eastern Cape had no rhythm in their innings, ending up with just 139 in their 20 overs. It was only fit he hit the winning runs as well.&nbsp;“It'll be incredibly&nbsp;special,” said Bosch when asked the team’s chances of making it to the playoffs. We agree. The Cape Town Faithful have been incredible over the last three weeks. Let’s give them some more cheer on Sunday!&nbsp;

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MICTvSEC report: Bosch special, Linde blitz carry us over in tense thriller 

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It’s the final leg. There are no second chances now. These are our knockouts. The equation is simple: we win, we stay alive.&nbsp;It’s never about how you start, but always about how you finish. We started poorly. We found some form in the middle. We now need to finish strong. All we need is a foot in the playoffs door, and knowing the MI Spirit&nbsp;of playing and seizing these big moments, you know this could be the start of something special. You really needn’t look beyond the MLC where MI New York looked down and out at one stage in the league, but then came back to blow teams away in the knockout stage and march to the title.&nbsp;The Sunrisers Eastern Cape are up next in back to back games. They have already qualified for the playoffs, are sitting first on the points table, and are the team to beat. Kieron Pollard, coming into the side, surely knows a thing or two about these last-second comebacks!&nbsp;What: MI Cape Town vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape&nbsp; When: January 16, 2026 | 5:30pm local time, 9:00pm IST Where: Newlands, Cape Town What to expect: It’s lovely to be back home after a couple of games on the road. The Newlands Faithful are just the tonic we need going into this must-win clash. With this being our last league game here, let’s give the Kaapstad something special!&nbsp;

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Match 9 | MICTvSEC: SIMPLY MUST WIN EVERYTHING!

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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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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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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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Mumbai Indians legend Kieron Pollard will join MI Cape Town for the remainder of the SA20 Season 4, as a replacement for Rashid Khan who has departed to join the national team.Thank you, Rashido, for all the memories in these eight games. From bamboozling batters, to smacking some big sixes, to always having a stomach for a fight, and inspiring the team when the chips were down.&nbsp;And welcome, welcome, Polly, to create some further awesome memories in the Rainbow nation. With two must-win league games now ahead of us, a territory KP masters in, we're going to love having him around!&nbsp;

Kieron Pollard joins MI Cape Town as Rashid Khan departs for national team duty

“We’ll take it on the chin and come back next year”: Robbie Peterson

Dankie for everything, Kaapstad

SECvMICT report: That would be the end :(