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Nearly. So, so nearly. We get within touching distance in a record 233-run chase, in a brave fight right until the end, refusing to give up and making sure the asking rate never went out of control, but alas, it isn’t to be. MI Cape Town Fam, we can be proud of this effort, but sadly don’t have the two points to show at the end of it..&nbsp;&nbsp;RYAN RICKELTON, YOU BEAUTY!Sheer career-defining stuff this. It’s not that the SA20 needed some extra lighting up, but Ryan Rickelton was in the mood. A brilliant 113 off just 63 balls with five fours and a whopping 11 sixes. Battling it out right till the last over, having the finish line in sight. He put up a masterclass in clean hitting.&nbsp;MICT were 32/1 after five overs, and needed a major injection of momentum. Enter, Ryan. With two consecutive sixes off Eathan Bosch, he signaled his intentions. His fifty came up off 31 balls, the century off 57. Spin, seam, change ups, nothing was spared. 22 runs were needed off the final over, Ryan had the strike too. We believed. Alas. He holed out first ball, and our hopes sunk, but he filled our hearts with pride.&nbsp;“It really was unbelievable. He’s known for playing innings like that - taking a bit of time early on, reading the conditions, and then accelerating. The way he handled both spin and pace was outstanding. That was easily one of the best innings you’ll see,” said skipper Rashid Khan in the post-match chat.&nbsp;Reeza, Jason chip in with useful cameos&nbsp;After Rassie van der Dussen fell early, Reeza Hendricks joined Rickelton in steadying the chase. His 21-ball 28 set the chase in order, but it was Jason Smith’s 14-ball 41 where things really took off. With the asking rate well over 17-an-over, he not only brought it down to around the 14s, but put immense pressure on the DSG bowlers.&nbsp;A tough night with the ball, but Boult does Boult things&nbsp;The pitch was an absolute belter and with the season-beginning bounce to aid as well, stroke-making was a delight. Trent Boult and the new ball are a match made in heaven, and he produced a dream ball first up: angling in, nipping away and beating Devon Conway’s defence. He was also the pick of the bowlers, coming back to get rid of a rampant Conway, with George Linde chipping in with a couple of wickets as MI Cape Town pulled things back a touch in the middle overs after Durban were off to a flier.&nbsp;

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MICTvDSG report: No, no, nooo!! Rickelton magic falls short by the barest of margins

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A 63-ball 113 that is set to be spoken about for many, many years to come. Ryan Rickelton, unfortunately on the wrong side of the result, has managed to reverse his lack of runs in the earlier tour of India, and he believes it to be the Cape Town magic. He was at the post-match press conference, breaking down his innings and his mental prep. Excerpts..&nbsp;On coming back to form after a tough few months&nbsp;It’s been an up and down year. It started nicely but I had a tough white ball leg in India. It was a tough last couple of months, mentally and cricket wise in the sub-continent. Coming in, I was nervous today. I have tried to double down on my preparation. I have drawn a lot of confidence playing out here in Newlands. When you’re chasing 230 you don’t have a lot of time to think as well. You just have to take on the game and it brings out a nice version of me in T20 cricket. I had my fair share of luck tonight but was happy to find the middle of the bat again.&nbsp;Thoughts on the targetWith 230, you have to back yourself no matter how good the conditions are with the ball. Just try give yourself a chance. We have so much power in our lineup. I thought if we get off to a start, you never know. You’ve got to hedge your bets, sometimes fortune favours the brave. You’re probably going to get down to the last ball or you’re going to get bowled out for 120. The beauty of those kind of scores is that you have to play. You can’t take your time. The wicket was good and you just had to maximize.&nbsp;On clearing the boundary with ease&nbsp;It’s quite tricky because in Newlands it swells and the flags are quite low so it doesn’t give you a fair representation of what is happening. But honestly sometimes against the long boundary, if you get a gust, you fancy your option. Against the short boundary, if you get a gust against you, you might think otherwise. You try and balance it.&nbsp;On using the SA20 to make a case for the Proteas sideNot at all. In honestly, I have made my peace with it. I am trying to find my feet again with the bat and contribute to the team. Whatever happens, happens. This tournament is a platform for players to put their hands up, but I am not thinking about it. I want to win this tournament with this team. Just trying to enjoy the game, which when you’re in India, can be quite hard.&nbsp;The Cape Town effectI’m just happy I am in Cape Town. It is such a mental game for me. The conditions have been good for batting over the last couple of years. It’s quite a special place to play. Consistently, the wickets have been quite good for a period of time now. I enjoy the lifestyle here as well. Sometimes in cricket we dive into our heads and it is tough to get away. It’s what I think makes touring the sub-continent tough. The beauty of Cape Town, of South Africa, is that you get to get out and experience more than a game of cricket. I enjoy that. I have family and friends here. I didn’t have to think of the game until I walked onto the park. That’s the biggest blessing and the enjoyment I get out of playing in Newlands and Cape Town.&nbsp;On Jason Smith’s knockIt was amazing. Jason (Smith) has been playing amazing this whole summer from what I have seen and in these last few weeks in the nets he has been batting like that every single day. I knew if he could face a chunk of the balls we could be flying. We had a foot on their throats quite a bit. Unfortunately he got out to a slight mis-execution, but if he would have batted another ten balls, we would have rolled on quite nicely.&nbsp;On reuniting at the top with Rassie van der DussenThis one has a bit of a different feel for both of us. We may be coming in with a bit of lack of form, or maybe not finding our groove quite easily. I can speak for myself, Rassie has been striking it quite nicely, but we know the opportunity we have for the next three years to be playing for this team and group. We enjoy playing for each other. To have Reeza there as well, we have played a lot for the Lions. The three of us at the top there was quite special. We all want each other to do incredibly well, sometimes more than yourself. Hopefully the three of us can have a good tournament and we can roll along for another two years.&nbsp;On his batting plans in the powerplayYou’re probably not trying to make a big score. If I face 18 balls and my partner faces 18 balls, if we are 25-30 each, we have a good start. That’s the general base you play off. It varies with conditions, wickets, etc. That’s the beauty of these leagues. We have such good players behind us. We have superstars who can whack it out of the park as well. It kind of frees you up a bit. You get a match up or you get a sniff where you can take someone down, you back yourself to take them down. You have to factor in a few things when you lose a wicket and know when to pull the brakes a bit and when to kick on and accelerate, but the general rule is that if it is your day, like it was mine today, you scoop a big score.&nbsp;

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“Was very nervous today, but Newlands gave me confidence”: Ryan Rickelton

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Boxing Day, Newlands, the festive season. The party simply doesn’t get any bigger. Imagine this: the holidays, chilling on the grass bank against the backdrop of the table mountain, a month of breakneck cricket, and the chance for MI Cape Town to defend their crown! &nbsp;The SA20 has only grown in strength year on year. Packed stadiums, top class cricket, a party atmosphere. And MICT will kick things off in a clash against Durban’s Super Giants, who have a bit of a new look. We, meanwhile, have a nice familiar look to our squad. Despite the mega Auction, we’ve gone all out to buy back a majority of our winning squad from 2025. Skipper Rashid Khan has touched down on the back of some match-winning performances for MI Emirates, and along with his men, is all set to paint the Rainbow Nation in our Blue and Gold!&nbsp;What: MI Cape Town vs Durban’s Super Giants&nbsp;When: December 26, 2025 | 17:30 local time, 21:00 ISTWhere: Newlands, Cape Town&nbsp;What to expect: The cricketing season feels a bit unusual. This is when cricket is played in whites, but this festive week is in colours. Expect fresh, juicy pitches for the seamers, lots of bounce allowing batters to smack them big, and all in all, some killer cricket.&nbsp;

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Match 1 | MICTvDSG preview: Let the festivities begin! Let the games begin! 

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The skipper has touched down. Rashid Khan, after putting in some clutch performances for MI Emirates has flown in to lead MI Cape Town’s crown-defence. He interacted with the media ahead of the first game at Newlands, and the warning bugle was sounded. Excerpts..&nbsp;Preparations leading into the first game&nbsp;It has been great so far. Guys reached here earlier and had some good practice games. I had some good games in the ILT20. Everything looking in great shape as last year. Whatever we did last year went well and we will try to keep things the same. Nothing much will change, just need to focus on the effort we put on the ground.&nbsp;On the pressures of being the defending Champions&nbsp;To be honest, more pressure last year than this year. We finished bottom twice in a row and to come from there to win the trophy was a big thing for us. We played collectively as a team and took responsibility at certain points in the game. I think that is what is very important. Whether it is stopping a couple of runs, that good fielding gives good energy to the team. We just wanted to give our 100% in the ground, whether it is in batting, bowling or fielding and not look at the result. That will be the target for us this season. Each and every one of us knows their responsibility in the team and I think every one is professional and experienced to understand their role to do it for the team.&nbsp;On the squad for season 4&nbsp;Every player is experienced. They will adjust themselves with the conditions and the position of the team quite quickly. Everyone is quite professional. They have played so much cricket around the world. We’ve played alongside Nicholas Pooran a lot. A lot of players have played with each other. They know my role in the team. I don’t think it will be that difficult to adjust with the team. Everyone is very excited for the games to start. As a captain I will try my best to give the freedom and the environment for the new faces for him to feel relaxed. I will be there to support the brand of cricket he wants. It won’t be very demanding. It will be a lot of freedom to play the kind of cricket a youngster wants to play with all seniors there to support them.&nbsp;His predictions for the finalThat’s too far (laughs). It’s a long way to go. It’s going to be next year (laughs) in 2026. We are all here to play good cricket. I am not much into the results but into the efforts. No matter where we end up, if you put in the right efforts every time you get onto the ground, you will end up getting the results you want.&nbsp;On Nicholas Pooran coming in&nbsp;He’s going to bring a lot of energy to the game. We know how dangerous a cricketer he is. I have played a lot with him and know him as a good person. Definitely he’s going to play some exciting innings and the Newlands fans are going to love him. He’s the kind of person who comes and smashes sixes. A guy full of energy and entertainment. I’m sure he’s going to love his time here. The way fans supported us through the difficult times was very important. Pooran is going to have great support here. He’s going to smash it and play some good innings here.On Head Coach Robbie Peterson&nbsp;He is playing an important role. I am always trying to discuss with him. It’s not just about the skills, but the mindset and the experience. He has played a lot of Test cricket. He has played a lot of harder cricket compared to me. He played the World Cups, he represented South Africa against the best sides in the world. I always try my best to discuss things with him. Sometimes in games, your mind doesn’t work. He’s the most experienced spinner we have in the team as the Head Coach and I always try to learn from him. For every youngster, it is a great opportunity to have that one month to learn from him. Not just skill wise, but on how to react in different situations.&nbsp;Whether he has some new variations up his sleeve&nbsp;As a player, you always need to have something new. You cannot keep repeating yourself at practice without trying something new. It might take some time to get some variation in my bowling. Like making my action slower was pretty hard for me. Somehow I adjusted and it helps me bowl the slower one. It has really helped me take a lot of wickets. In the last three-four years, I was trying in the nets to perfect it. All the youngsters should be trying to do something you might need in the future. You should not be restricted for options. It’s up to you as a bowler on the kind of work to put. A batter now has so many options to hit, so many shots. It should be the same for a spinner, to have options and to know what to bowl in tough times.&nbsp;On the MI FamilyIt all started here in MI Cape Town. I had a great time wherever I went. The kind of respect I received, the love I got and the freedom as a player is more important than anything else. I feel I have been given so much respect and freedom. The environment around the team is very important. It affects your game and if the environment is good, you deliver your best on the ground. That’s why I have been in this setup wherever I go. I know everyone so well. MLC, MI Emirates, MI Cape Town, hopefully we continue this all around the world. I try my best for the team. I am lucky to be in this family and I hope till I play cricket, I retire in MI as well.

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“Have a lot of love, respect and freedom in the MI Family”: Rashid Khan 

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Boxing Day in South Africa is always special. Right in the middle of the festive season, cricket in all its tradition and glory! This year, it’ll come in all its colours and under lights.&nbsp;MI Cape Town, the Defending Champions, have a very similar look post the mega Auction. Continuity and the feeling of being at home has been a tradition in the #OneFamily across the globe, and this SA20 Mega Auction was no different.&nbsp;“I think that’s been a general value of MICT, to keep the core players because that allows consistency and it allows for a good balance within the team to be maintained. Familiarity is a key thing because you need to be able to bond with your team-mates. The synergy goes a long way. It’s proven to be quite a successful value for MI across the board. Super thrilled that the strategy came to life and now we just have to put the finishing touches,” said Kagiso Rabada in the pre-season captains’ presser, where he stood in for Rashid Khan, who’s on his way here after a super stint with MI Emirates. &nbsp;There’s everything to play for over the next one month. Let’s paint the Rainbow Nation in our Blue and Gold once again, shall we?

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Six teams, one trophy: Kaapstad, let’s bring it home, AGAIN! 

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The cape of Champions. The threads of passion. The iconic Blue and Gold. MI city and its stars … woven in MI Cape Town’s colours. The Christmas present has come early!&nbsp;With just over a week to go for season 4 of the SA20 kicking off on Boxing Day, the excitement is only set to go up a notch with this jersey being unveiled. On a beautiful Newlands evening, the rays of the setting sun against the Table mountain will get the Gold dazzling on our Samurai Cloak as the Blue shines bright!Kaapstad, see you at the Cricket!&nbsp;

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LAUNCHED: MI threads, MI passion, MI jersey

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As Cape Town steps into the festive Christmas season and builds excitement for&nbsp;SA20 2026 season, reigning champions MI Cape Town are taking the coveted silverware to the people with a vibrant Trophy Tour across Cape Town’s most iconic and high-footfall destinations including Cape&nbsp;Gate Shopping Centre, Canal Walk Shopping Centre and Kenilworth Centre starting 6th&nbsp;December 2025.&nbsp;Inspired by MI’s global #OneFamily spirit, the tour brings the championship silverware closer to the fans who fuelled the team’s remarkable 2025 title run.The Trophy Tour aims to spark excitement among the fans ahead of the new season and strengthen the emotional bond between the team and the community. Fans can expect an immersive experience featuring a secure trophy display, a selfie zone with live photo printing, interactive trivia sessions, and high-energy engagement running crowd games, giveaways, and a Cape Town-inspired playlist.With fan quizzes, exclusive prizes like signed merchandise, and appearances at major shopping destinations, the Trophy Tour promises to be a citywide celebration of&nbsp;festive spirit, passion, and championship glory, adding Christmas cheer to the build-up for the new season.MI Cape Town Trophy Tour Schedule:<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td style="border:1.0pt solid windowtext;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:134.3pt;">Day/ Date</td><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:solid;border-width:1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:70.85pt;">Time</td><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:solid;border-width:1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:4.0cm;">Venue</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:solid;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:none;border-width:1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:134.3pt;">Saturday, 6th Dec 2025</td><td style="border-bottom:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:70.85pt;" rowspan="3">2-4 PM</td><td style="border-bottom:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:4.0cm;">Cape Gate</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:solid;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:none;border-width:1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:134.3pt;">Saturday, 13th Dec 2025</td><td style="border-bottom:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:4.0cm;">Canal Walk</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:solid;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:none;border-width:1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:134.3pt;">Monday, 15th Dec 2025</td><td style="border-bottom:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:4.0cm;">Kenilworth</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

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Reigning champs MI Cape Town bring Christmas cheer with festive Trophy Tour

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Thomas Kaber, the South African all-rounder, returns to MI Cape Town as a replacement for Tabraiz Shamsi, who is unavailable for the season due to personal reasons.He's a hugely experienced Protean lad, having made his domestic debut for the Northerns way back in 2009. An aggressive middle-order bat, a left-arm wrist-spinner, he's the complete package!&nbsp;He's no stranger to the #OneFamily, having been part of the MI Cape Town squad for the last two seasons, including the season three title win. We're super excited to have you back, TK!&nbsp;

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Thomas Kaber signs with MI Cape Town for SA20 Season 4

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Few growth trajectories are this sharp. Fewer are as heartwarming. Tristan Luus is 20. He can already boast of two major Franchise cricket title wins in his CV. He can also boast of triggering a bidding war in the express round at the SA20 Auction.&nbsp;To think it was only a year ago when he was drafted into the South African under-19 World Cup squad as an injury replacement.The Blue and Gold weren’t letting go of him. What began as a Rookie Draft pick in season 3 turned into a full blown hard Auction fight to ensure Luus’ homecoming in season 4. How were his nerves when the paddles kept going up?“It’s actually a funny story,” he tells micapetown.co.za in an exclusive chat. “I was on the field when the Auction was going on. I was playing for South Africa A versus New Zealand A. It was the third day of the four day match. We were fielding at the time of the Auction, so everyone was quite nervous. We could get our phones only after the day’s play, and that is when I saw all the messages. So I kind of realized a few hours after everyone else.”“When I realized I was back with MI Cape Town, I was absolutely stoked. It is unbelievable to be back. It’s the franchise I want to play for. It’s the team I want to be involved with. I’m super grateful, super happy to be back. Last year was simply one of the best tours of my life. It was unbelievable.”Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Hashim Amla, Robin Peterson, Mitchell McClenaghan. It’s an impressive list of men for Tristan to have rubbed shoulders with and picked brains of. Equally intimidating.&nbsp;“The whole month was unbelievable. My first impression, I’m not going to lie, I was very nervous getting into the camp. I was a young player coming in and then you see all these players you’ve watched and then suddenly you’re in a team with them. My nerves were through the roof,” he said.&nbsp;Meanwhile MI Cape Town were on a winning roll. It felt different in Newlands given the disappointments of the first two seasons. But the story of season 3 was that of domination. Domination turned into a winning juggernaut that just wouldn’t stop.&nbsp;“I backed the team from day one. We went on a winning streak in the middle after we lost one game at the start. It would take a really good team to beat us. We played good cricket in and out. We never stopped. We had the will to win this thing. I am just grateful to be part of a team that won this thing. I was also pretty nervous throughout the competition because it is a very big step in a lot of cricketers’ careers,” Tristan said.&nbsp;You can’t not fall in love with Luus’ bowling action. There’s a nice throwback feel to it. Nostalgic for an entire generation.&nbsp;“Dale Steyn is my cricketing hero. He is the guy I look up to. I’m not going to lie, I hadn’t noticed I bowl a lot like Dale Steyn until people showed me and told me my action and my run-up were quite similar. Only then it came into my mind and I thought, ‘Jeez, I’m actually bowling a little bit like him’. I think he’s one of the best bowlers&nbsp; to ever live in my opinion and I am taking the small things away into my game, like his aggression, and slowly make my action and game as smooth as he had. But there are a lot of similarities. I also watched a lot of videos of him. I’m just trying to do the small things what he did right.”&nbsp;They might be small things, but it’s leading Tristan Luus to making big strides. As he comes back home, we cannot wait for the strides to turn into a soar!

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Interview | “Absolutely stoked to be back, MICT is the franchise I want to play for”: Tristan Luus on his homecoming

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The old, the new, the tried and proven, the young and exciting.&nbsp;MI Cape Town’s squad of 19 at the end of a marathon mega Auction for the SA20 season 4 is here and we have the perfect mix for you. Let’s dive right in and say hello to the men who are all set to give it their all for the Mother City and defend our crown.&nbsp;<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>1.</td><td>Rassie van der Dussen</td><td>R5.2 million</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>Reeza Hendricks</td><td>R500,000</td></tr><tr><td>3.&nbsp;</td><td>Dwaine Pretorius&nbsp;</td><td>R650,000</td></tr><tr><td>4.&nbsp;</td><td>Tristan Luus</td><td>R650,000</td></tr><tr><td>5.&nbsp;</td><td>Jason Smith</td><td>R500,000</td></tr><tr><td>6.&nbsp;</td><td>Tom Moores</td><td>R200,000</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>Dane Piedt&nbsp;</td><td>R200,000</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>Tian van Vuuren</td><td>R1 million</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>Dan Lategan</td><td>R400,000</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>Tabraiz Shamsi</td><td>R500,000</td></tr><tr><td>11.</td><td>Karim Janat</td><td>R1 million</td></tr><tr><td>12.</td><td>Jacques Snyman</td><td>R200,000</td></tr><tr><td>13.</td><td>Trent Boult</td><td>Retained</td></tr><tr><td>14.</td><td>Rashid Khan</td><td>Retained</td></tr><tr><td>15.</td><td>Ryan Rickleton</td><td>Retained</td></tr><tr><td>16.</td><td>George Linde</td><td>Retained</td></tr><tr><td>17.</td><td>Corbin Bosch</td><td>Retained</td></tr><tr><td>18.</td><td>Kagiso Rabada</td><td>Wild Card</td></tr><tr><td>19.</td><td>Nicholas Pooran</td><td>Pre-signing</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>&nbsp;

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Welkom to MI Cape Town, #SquadOfSeason4

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It was some game. A run-fest, a crazy exhibition of hitting, a game that kept switching hands, a batting masterclass for the ages, but sadly, not the result. Well, the universe, and of course, the scheduling, has given us the best possible thing to put the heartbreak behind us: an immediate reverse fixture against Durban’s Super Giants at Kingsmead.&nbsp;The Durban pitch and ground has the reputation of being a bigger six-hitting ground. It’s just scary how many more can be hit given we are coming off a game that saw nearly 450 runs being scored in 40 overs. Our batters are in form. Our bowlers will love the zip they’ll get here. We have a target in front of us. Bring. It. On.&nbsp;What: Durban’s Super Giants vs MI Cape Town&nbsp;When: December 28, 2025 | 3:30pm local time, 7:00pm IST&nbsp;Where: Kingsmead, Durban&nbsp;What to expect: Another nail-biter of a contest. There was hardly anything to choose between both teams at the end of the last game, and with smaller boundaries, expect something just as fiery!&nbsp;

Match 2 | DSGvMICT preview: Just the reverse fixture we needed to mend this heartbreak

MICTvDSG report: No, no, nooo!! Rickelton magic falls short by the barest of margins

“Was very nervous today, but Newlands gave me confidence”: Ryan Rickelton

Match 1 | MICTvDSG preview: Let the festivities begin! Let the games begin!