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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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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 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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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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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!

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

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

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

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