Defending SA20 champions MI Cape Town finally opened their account for the 2026 season with a dramatic four-wicket win over Joburg Super Kings in a rain-affected clash at Cape Town. The victory came at the sixth attempt for the home side, who chased a revised target of 128 in just 12 overs, sealing the win with four balls to spare.

Strong Opening Partnership Sets the Tone

MI Cape Town’s innings got off to a flying start thanks to opener Rassie van der Dussen, who scored 35 from 24 balls, and Nicholas Pooran, who contributed 33 from just 15 deliveries. Their aggressive batting laid the foundation for the run chase, keeping the Super Kings bowlers under pressure from the outset.

The finishing touches came from Jason Smith, who smashed 22 from seven balls, and Karim Janat, who remained 9 not out, hitting three towering sixes off English seamer Richard Gleeson’s penultimate over, securing the victory for the defending champions.

Faf du Plessis Leads Super Kings Before Rain Interruption

Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis played a blistering innings after losing the toss, smashing 43 from 18 balls, including four consecutive boundaries off the final over of the powerplay. However, rain interrupted play shortly afterwards, forcing a break of over an hour.

When the match resumed, Du Plessis added just one more run before being caught by Reeza Hendricks off the bowling of Rashid Khan. Before the interruption, Super Kings had reached 69-2, and they eventually finished at 123-7 after their remaining six overs, with MI Cape Town’s Corbin Bosch taking 3-24 from three overs to stifle the chase.

Implications for the SA20 Standings

With the win, MI Cape Town remain at the bottom of the table but have closed the gap to fifth-placed Pretoria Capitals, sitting just one point behind. For the Joburg Super Kings, this was their first defeat of the season, meaning they missed the opportunity to go level on points with leaders Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

Key Performers

• Rassie van der Dussen – 35 off 24 balls
• Nicholas Pooran – 33 off 15 balls
• Jason Smith – 22 off 7 balls
• Karim Janat – 9 not out, crucial sixes
• Corbin Bosch – 3-24 in three overs

What This Means Moving Forward

The win provides MI Cape Town with a much-needed confidence boost ahead of their remaining SA20 fixtures. If they can build momentum from this performance, the defending champions could climb the standings and keep their title defense alive. Meanwhile, Joburg Super Kings will need to regroup quickly to maintain their top-four position in the competitive tournament.