MI Cape Town will stride back onto familiar turf on Friday knowing Newlands has been their lucky strip. It’s a ground that last season played like a perfectly rolled wicket for champions in full flow.
Unbeaten in five home matches during Betway SA20 Season 3, the defending champions turned the Mother City into a fortress, and now they’re ready to defend it against a glittering Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) line-up in their Season 4 opener.
Cape Town ki 𝘑𝘢𝘢𝘯, Rashid Khan! 📸 💙#MICapeTown #OneFamily #SA20 pic.twitter.com/inubVMRELX
— MI Cape Town (@MICapeTown) December 24, 2025
Led once more by spin supremo Rashid Khan, MI Cape Town are stacked like a well-balanced XI on a good batting deck.
Proteas stars Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch provide local firepower, while international heavyweights Rashid Khan, Trent Boult and explosive new recruit Nicholas Pooran add global sheen to a side built to entertain and dominate.
For Rashid, the pressure that once weighed like a heavy roller has eased. Last season’s title, after two bottom-placed finishes, has given his side freedom to play with expressive strokes rather than defensive blocks.
“There was more pressure last year than this year, you know we came at the bottom twice in a row and to come up from that and win the trophy was a big thing for us as a team,” Rashid Khan said.
“I think what we did right was we played collectively as a team and we took the responsibility at certain points of the game.
“Every player is well experienced, and they will adjust themselves with the condition and the position of the team quite quickly.
“Everyone is so professional, they have played so much cricket around the world, and I think it won’t be that difficult for them to acclimatise.”
All eyes will be on Pooran, a batsman known for clearing the ropes as easily as flicking singles into the gap. Rashid expects the West Indian star to light up Newlands like a New Year’s fireworks display.
“He (Pooran) is going to bring lots of energy to the game,” Rashid said.
“We know how dangerous and how good a cricketer he is.
“He is a kind of like a person who comes in smashing lots of sixes you will see. He’s a guy full of energy and entertainment and I am sure he is going to love his time here.”
Standing in their way is a revamped Durban’s Super Giants side capable of playing festive-season spoilers. Under new captain Aiden Markram, a two-time SA20 winner with Sunrisers Eastern Cape, DSG arrive armed with experience, class and belief.
Aiden Markram
Markram is flanked by England’s former T20 World Cup-winning skipper Jos Buttler, New Zealand great Kane Williamson and Proteas power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen, giving the Super Giants a batting order as deep as a well-set field.
While Sunil Narine is not yet available, DSG have bolstered their spin attack with Proteas Test hero Simon Harmer, joining Afghanistan mystery bowler Noor Ahmad to form a potent slow-bowling duo.
“There is a really nice balance in the set-up and we have a nice group of guys. We have some really good all-rounders, mixed with 2-3 world class players with the likes of Buttler, Klaasen and co,” Markram said.
“I think a lot of it comes down to finding our strength as a team and our identity and what gives us the best chance to play good cricket and win games of cricket, so it’s obviously a new and exciting challenge for us in a competition with a lot of new faces.”
Cricket fever has hit boiling point in Cape Town, with the opening match completely sold out. Holidaymakers and locals alike are set to turn Newlands into a sea of colour and noise, with award-winning DJ and newly crowned GQ Man of the Year Shimza launching the festivities with a live performance at 16h20.
Beyond the boundary ropes, fans can expect a carnival atmosphere with free giveaways, kids’ activities, DJs, dance cams and post-gates-open playtime on the field. There are also big prizes on offer, from Betway’s Catch R2 Million competition to a Suzuki Swift GL+, cash giveaways from Absa and Switch, and Castle Lite’s spin-and-win wheel.
With gates opening three hours before the first ball, Friday promises a full day of cricket and celebration. This sets a perfect stage for MI Cape Town to begin their title defence, and for Durban’s Super Giants to test whether Newlands’ fortress walls are ready to crack.
