The 13th match of the SA20 2025-26 was completely one-sided.
Despite being named after the city that never sleeps, the Mumbai Indians Cape Town (MICT) were definitely caught sleeping. After not having made a mark on the points table yet, the Rashid Khan-led side did not show any signs of revival, and were bundled out for a mere 88 runs against the Paarl Royals. Here’s a sneak peek into the MICT vs PR highlights, which was the 13th match of the SA20 2025-26.
After opting to bat first, the Men in Blue & Gold could not take control of the game since the very beginning. They could get to a total of 33/2 in the powerplay – which happens to be their lowest total in the first six overs in the history of the tournament. None of the batters could get going, and there was absolutely no application shown from any of them.
For the Paarl Royals, it was a walk in the park. They got to the total comfortably, with Asa Tribe leading the run-scoring charts with a composed 34 under his belt.
After having lost the last two games in succession, getting dismissed for a mere 88 would be the last thing on the minds of the MICT contingent. The Paarl Royals chased down the total with seven wickets to spare, and earned their third victory of the season. Here are a few of the MICT vs PR highlights.
The problem for the Mumbai Indians Cape Town side has been the contributions from their middle-order batters. The batters in the middle-order have not converted their starts into big totals, which has hurt the team on most occasions.
The openers have given starts of 22, 60, 77 and 27 respectively, which cannot be ruled out as below average. However, the team has not seen enough contributions from their middle-order. Moreover, the batting order, barring the openers has constantly been changed, which has not helped their cause.
The Men in Pink are making it a habit of reading the conditions really well. They quickly got an idea of the way the wicket in Cape Town was going to behave, and quickly altered their plans to suit their charge. Sikandar Raza and Ottneil Baartman rose to the occasion to inflict major damage.
To add to that, Baartman became the bowler with the most wickets in the SA20 2025-26 season with a splendid two-wicket haul against MICT. Sikandar Raza pummelled the Men in Blue & Gold with the ball in hand, ending with figures of 4/13 in his four overs.
ALSO READ:
As far as the MICT camp is concerned, they have a lot on their plate. There is no doubt about the quality in the side, which has been bolstered even more with the joining of Nicholas Pooran. However, the important players have not been able to step up at important junctures, which has cost them games.
To start with, Trent Boult has not been able to execute what he is known for. The left-handed speedster from New Zealand has not been generating a lot of swing, which has not helped his cause. Moreover, skipper Rashid Khan has not been amongst the wickets in the capacity that is expected out of him.
Overall, MICT have a heap of problems to overcome in very little time. It will be a matter of execution and perfection if the team has to go anywhere near the playoffs spot from here. But with the Men in Blue & Gold, one cannot take things for granted, can they?
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
