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It was a day of mixed feelings for George Linde, the happiness of being selected in South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad and the disappointment of MI Cape Town losing a very close encounter to the Paarl Royals. He was at the post-match press conference, sharing his thoughts and looking forward. Excerpts..&nbsp;On his T20 World Cup squad callupFeels pretty amazing. Hasn’t sunk in yet. I think when I get onto the plane for the World Cup, it will sink in. I’m really looking forward to it. I feel I sort of deserve it. Hopefully we can win it for South Africa.&nbsp;On him being in and out of the SA squad&nbsp;Plenty of ups and downs, that’s how my career has gone. But I have always found a way to fight back, which I am proud of.&nbsp;What worked for him this timeI think my batting is a big thing. I obviously did struggle with the bat but last year I took all winter to reflect and get fit again, go through those hard things that people don’t know. I love doing my crossfit and when you go through a tough time while training, you find a way to get through tough times in cricket as well. From last year, I did tell myself, everything happens for a reason and luckily, I’ve got the call and it is a proud moment for me and my family.&nbsp;Thoughts on the match result&nbsp;It's a big competition and you play for MI Cape Town, which is a massive franchise. You want to win games for them but unfortunately I couldn’t do it today, which is very disappointing. It still is a great squad. I remember (Kieron) Pollard said in MI New York where we had exactly the same start, where we lost four or five in a row and won the next five to get into the playoffs and won the final, the one thing this team can show is a fight.&nbsp;On MICT bouncing back from here&nbsp;Yeah, 100 percent. There are a lot of internationals and a lot of experience in this squad. One thing I know is these guys know how to bounce back. If we can get into the playoffs, I reckon we are a very dangerous side. I don’t think a lot of people would want to play against us then.&nbsp;On his finisher’s roleIt’s not an easy job. You can ask any person walking in at number seven, it’s not an easy place to bat. The expectation is on you to finish games. In the Proteas World Cup squad, there is a lot of power hitters. If we can set a platform, we can be a very dangerous side. &nbsp;Obviously, I would love it to be six runs needed off one in the final and I hit it for six. That would be the dream.&nbsp;On Rashid Khan’s cameo&nbsp;He obviously hit is amazingly well. Paarl is not a place to come in and hit sixes immediately, but he showed today how to do it. I knew I could give myself some time. I have played here in the past and if you need 15 off the last over, the bowler feels the pressure as well, not just us.&nbsp;Preparations for the next game&nbsp;What’s done is done. We’ll reflect tomorrow and come back day after on game night. I feel we have been a bit unlucky at times. A few mistakes here and there and it happens in cricket. I reckon we have a good chance of beating them at Newlands.&nbsp;On how teams should prepare to play in PaarlTonight it played reasonably well. In South Africa, all pitches play different. You’ve got to dig deep sometimes. You saw with Nicky P (Pooran), he knew it was not an easy wicket and he tried to give himself a chance. It’s not as easy flowing as Newlands or Pretoria. Obviously a disappointing loss, but I’m sure we’ll reflect and get better.&nbsp;On chasing in all four games&nbsp;We’ve played four games and bowled first every time. Maybe it is something to look into. At Newlands, last year we chased and did pretty well. So you need to stick to what you know best. Maybe if you win the toss next time, we might bat first.

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“The one thing this team can show is a fight”: George Linde

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We fought right until the very end. Until the last ball. Six runs were needed. George Linde was on strike. He sliced a wide full delivery. He threw in everything he had. Every ounce of muscle he could find. The ball went airborne as well. Alas, it dropped just a couple of yards short of the boundary. MI Cape Town fell one run short of what would have been an absolutely stellar win. Alas.Rashid Khan gets us clawing backA skipper’s knock if any! He walked in with MI Cape Town needing 62 runs in 31 balls with six wickets down. The first ball he faced, he carved away over point for four. With three sixes and two fours in his 18-ball knock of 35, he brought us right back into the contest and had us believe. He fell when the equation was down to 13 runs being needed off five balls. Kagiso Rabada then came in and smashed the first ball he faced for six to bring it down to seven off three. But he fell too off the next ball, leaving Linde needing a six off the final ball. Ahh..The openers set the tone……but sadly, the middle order doesn’t quite kick on. Rassie van der Dussen (59 off 42) and Ryan Rickelton (36 off 20) were once again at their clinical best in the chase of 182. At 77/0 in the eighth over, MICT looked well on course. At 109/1 after 12, they seemed to have consolidated that position further. But then came the collapse, losing five wickets for just nine runs, and derailing the chase.&nbsp;The bowlers pull it back well after LDP specialOn a sluggish pitch, MICT’s bowlers did well to mix up their pace and pull things back after the Royals were off to a 100-run opening stand. Young Lhuan Dre Pretorius was in the mood and smashed a 65-ball 98, but the bowled restricted them to what looked like a 200+ total at one stage, keeping it to something par.&nbsp;Okay, there’s no need be disappointed. In fact there’s no time to be disappointed. The next game is just a couple of sleeps away and it is a reverse fixture against the Paarl Royals in our backyard. This is where we’ll set things right!&nbsp;

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PRvMICT report: Oh, this hurts so bad :( We fall short by two yards and ONE run

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It’s already the new year. And in the SA20, the new year has started with a thrilling tie. Well, if you are the Kaapstad family, you’d prefer a thumping win, the bonus point kind :)So, here’s how things have been so far: We’re just three games into the tournament. The first one was a nail-biter we finished on the side of. The second was a washout that saw just four overs of play. The third was one where we had our moments, but it wasn’t our best game and not the result we were after.&nbsp;Let’s start afresh: on the road, at Boland Park, Paarl, and the only way from here is upwards. It’s the first of back to back games against the Paarl Royals, and this is where we start 2026 with a bang!&nbsp;What: Paarl Royals vs MI Cape Town&nbsp;When: January 2, 2026 | 5:30pm local time, 9:00pm IST&nbsp; Where: Boland Park, Paarl&nbsp;What to expect: The pitch here in Paarl is usually a spin-friendly one, but this is early season, and the pitch still has some juice in it for the seamers as was seen the last game. Our batters love it here historically, and it shouldn’t be very different this time around.&nbsp;

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Match 4 | PRvMICT preview: Mission ‘Let’s start 2026 with a bang’

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Let’s quickly debrief, learn, and firmly put this game behind us. We had our moments, but unfortunately, we couldn’t hold on. It wasn’t the ideal end to the New Year’s Eve party at Newlands given the wonderful atmosphere that had built up, but we promise to not let it take anything away from how wonderful a year 2025 has been for the entire MI Family. 2026, we are hungry, and we are on a mission to bounce back now..&nbsp;A solid start with the ballKagiso Rabada, Corbin Bosch and George Linde, each struck in the powerplay to reduce the Pretoria Capitals to 38/3 in the sixth over, putting MI Cape Town in the driver’s seat. But Shai Hope and Wiaan Lubbe put up an 88-run stand in quick time to rebuilt their innings. But the real damage came at the end, in the last three overs.&nbsp;Those three overs&nbsp;And suddenly, just like that, the Pretoria Capitals got to 220 from what seemed would be a 190-run chase for MI Cape Town. The 18th over went for 21 runs, the 19th for 26 and then the 20th for 25. 72 came off the last three overs, something that set the game too far back for us to get back from.&nbsp;The R-R start and the Nicky P six-a-thonWe’ve seen how Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton can be up top, and today, the partnership arrived at the SA20. The openers matched each other shot for shot and set the platform for the chase in style, flying to 60/0 inside the powerplay. Sadly they fell in quick succession, but Nicholas Pooran wasted no time in ensuring the asking rate was pulled down substantially. The first two balls he faced were sixes, the last two balls he faced before he got dismissed were sixes. 25 runs | 6 balls. Alas, in a quest to keep up with the rate, the rest of the batting fell trying to play the high risk game.Okay, this might sting, but we know what it takes to bounce back from situations like this. Trust the new year to bring us new luck..&nbsp;

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MICTvPC report: Quickly putting this behind us and moving on…

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It was a tough outing for MI Cape Town on New Year’s Eve, but Head Coach, Robbie Peterson sounded confident in the team's ability to put this behind and script a quick turnaround. Here is he is, speaking at the post-match press conference. Excerpts..&nbsp;On the target set&nbsp;When you chase a score like that, you have to give it a crack. We are chasing 30 runs too many in each innings and putting our batters under pressure. You can’t ask them to chase 220 in every game. Teams have played well against us. There are good players in that dressing room. We have only played two games in the competition with one game being rained out. It’s been a stop-start affair for us. We’ve just got to get back to the drawing board, take a long look at ourselves and we have a quick turnaround to the next game. We can’t linger on this too long.&nbsp;On Kagiso Rabada’s return from injuryHe’s fine. He’s been very professional behind the scenes, trying to make sure he could come back. He was probably good to go last game, but we probably felt one more game to make sure he is in the best possible mental state to trust his body. He has done everything possible to trust his body. He hasn’t played in about 13-14 weeks. To see him bowl like that and lead the attack was something special.&nbsp;Mood in the dressing room after three games&nbsp;There are more than one way to get to the playoffs. We saw the Sunrisers last year lose their first three games and make it to the final. We see the bottom team can be the top team with the bonus point. If most of your matchwinners fire on the day, you can win with a bonus point. It’s just that we need to get off the straps pretty soon to get some momentum into our game.&nbsp;On what the team needs to get rightIt’s hard to put a finger on it. The opposition have played well and put us under pressure, and we haven’t responded as well as we should. Some of those guys have played a lot of cricket. Corbin Bosch is coming after 13 weeks away in Pakistan and India. It’s not through lack of preparation or hard work behind the scenes. I think our Bowling Coach, Mitchell McClenaghan, is one of the best in the world in short format cricket. Everything is at the players’ disposal. At the end of the day, you have got to execute as a player. You need to execute under pressure and follow a game plan and do it for 40 overs.&nbsp;On the superstars in the teamWe try and win every game. It has been a bit frustrating, we played one game, went to Durban, rained out, back here, not at our best. That is not an excuse. These guys do it for a living. They go across tournaments and perform for teams across the globe. We’ve just got to sharpen up mentally and up our execution right in all facets. That’s what you do as a team. You don’t point fingers at one department. We all have got to look at each other and look to turn it around quickly. We’ve only played three games. We have seven left. We have shown that we have guys in the dressing room that have won this competition. It’s just a different journey this year. The guys will be hurting. They want to win every match at Newlands and make the fans smile when they leave. That’s an opportunity next game to put it right.&nbsp;Thoughts on Rashid Khan’s bowling performance&nbsp;&nbsp;It's very difficult. There is a platform when Rashid comes on to bowl. When a team has a partnership and a platform, they don’t need to take risks. We may have to rethink where to use him. We may being him into the attack a little bit sooner. These are things we will do behind the scenes and brainstorm quickly. I wouldn’t worry too much. He is a world class performer, a leader within that dressing room, he will be back pretty soon I am sure.&nbsp;On Rabada’s injury management&nbsp;He is a world class performer. We value him very highly. We have a great medical team here. The recovery process they follow is pretty rigourous. He’s got the best people behind him to make sure he gets through the tournament. He’s resting up when he needs to. He is experienced enough to know when he body needs rest. He has managed that beautifully over the last two weeks in the background. We will look after him as much as we can in the dressing room.&nbsp;Update on Jason Smith’s bowlingJason has come back from injury. He had a calf strain. The bowling loads up in the background. We will most like see him in the mid to the backend of the tournament. The work has been done behind the scenes.&nbsp;On Trent Boult’s performanceTrent does his work. He is a professional and does this for a living all over the world. Yes, he hasn’t got the wickets, but in the first game, he went past Devon Conway’s bat, nicked it through the slips. It’s the fortune you need sometimes in T20 cricket. Some teams are having it go their way in the tournament so far. We haven’t quite had that little rub of the green you need. It could change in a game or two. Suddenly he takes a wicket upfront and he is away in the competition. Last year as well he started the competition slowly but was magnificent for us in the final. I am not worried about Trent. He knows how to take wickets.&nbsp;

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“Just need to get some momentum into our game”: Robbie Peterson

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Can it simply get any better? Can the party simply get any bigger? Can we simply be vibing any more?New Year’s Eve at the cricket, enjoying the final moments when the clock strikes 12, well, it’s a solid possibility at the Newlands this year. The Pretoria Capitals, on the back of two tough losses, have come visiting. MI Cape Town, meanwhile, have first points thanks to a rained out fixture, would be desperate to get a W against their name after the heartbreak in the first game. What better way to say goodbye to a special year that 2025 has been, a year that saw us win our maiden SA20 title!&nbsp;What: MI Cape Town vs Pretoria Capitals&nbsp;When: December 31, 2025 | 5:30pm local time, 9:00pm ISTWhere: Newlands, Cape Town&nbsp;What to expect: A Blue and Gold finish to 2025. A Blue and Gold start to 2026. &nbsp;It’s been a high-scoring start to the SA20, and Cape Town produced a classic that saw nearly 450 runs being scored. We expect nothing different.&nbsp;

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Match 3 | MICTvPC preview: New Year’s Eve at Newlands, the biggest party in town! 

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Not the way we’d planned, but a washout is how MI Cape Town get first points. A peak Sunday evening game, set up perfectly by the previous clash between these two sides that saw nearly 450 runs being scored on the night, sadly is one where rain has the last laugh.&nbsp;In the four overs where some play was possible, the DSG openers were off to a good start, but Corbin Bosch managed to pull things back with just five runs in the fourth over. At 37/0, the covers came on, and alas, stayed on.&nbsp;MI Cape Town will come back home now, to host the Pretoria Capitals in a night clash on Wednesday (December 31). We couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend out New Year’s Eve, and welcome 2026 with fireworks at Newlands!

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DSGvMICT report: A rain-marred evening allows just four overs of play

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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;

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

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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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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;

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

“The one thing this team can show is a fight”: George Linde

PRvMICT report: Oh, this hurts so bad :( We fall short by two yards and ONE run

Match 4 | PRvMICT preview: Mission ‘Let’s start 2026 with a bang’