It’s time. The wait’s over. It’s time for all the buildup, all the anticipation, all the planning, and all the strategy to transcend into reality. On the ground. And now. 

We are the Blue and Gold Paltan. From the Wankhede, we’ve spread our wings onto the other side of the Indian Ocean, into the rainbow nation of South Africa, and further onto Newlands against the backdrop of the Table Mountain. We’ve bought Mumbai city’s never-say-die spirit with us. We’ve brought Mumbai Indians’ brand of play with us. 

Imagine this: Kagiso Rabada grabs the new Kookaburra. He runs in from the Wynberg End and dishes out thunderbolt after thunderbolt. The nut then is tossed over to Jofra Archer. He runs in from the Kelvin Grove End and dishes out a few more thunderbolts. Rashid Khan then joins in the fun, spins a web like only he can. Sam Curran nails in the yorkers and demonstrates his entire repertoire of variations at the death. Dewald Brevis then tonks some balls into the grass banks without bothering to look up. Liam Livingstone hits them further. Rassie van der Dussen sets the game up, mixing aggression with his steely anchor-like determination. Odean Smith applies the finishing touches. 

This is what dreams are made of. And over the next four weeks, this dream team of ours will battle it out with five other sides to lay our hands on the coveted SA20 Trophy. It’s the first season, and firsts are always special. 

This is MI Home. This is MI Team. This is MI Cape Town. It’s Lekker! 

Newlands, Cape Town | Our home, our fortress:

Historic. Iconic. Beautiful. That scoreboard. Those grass banks. That Table Mountain overlook. Ah, the Newlands Cricket Ground has to be right up there among the most picturesque places to play cricket. Established all the way back in 1888 with a capacity to house 25000 fans, and located right on the south-western tip of the African continent by the South Atlantic Ocean, the stadium has played host to a number of classic international games and cricketing events over the years. The pitch here has traditionally been sporting, and is one of those rare ones in South Africa that tends to aid the spinners as well. Thanks to its open stands and windy conditions, swing bowlers generally have a field day. 

Rashid Khan | Our captain:

He bats, smokes them around for fun, unleashes ‘snake shots’, and puts up a show. He bowls leg-breaks, googlies, flippers, at the death, in the powerplay, in the middle-stages, bamboozling the best of batters. He fields, throws himself around, and is a real gun in the deep by the boundary. Yes, he does it all. He’s the complete package – a true, blue global superstar. He’s put Afghanistan right on the cricketing map. HE’S RASHID KHAN! He’s our leader! 

Now, at 24 years of age, with the world at his feet and a slew of championships under his belt, the time’s absolutely ripe to lift another trophy!