MI Cape Town will need to find a suitable player to replace Rashid Khan.
MI Cape Town (MICT) will face Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in the 26th match of SA20 2026. Both teams had contrasting results in their previous games: MICT lost by 53 runs, while SEC won by 61 runs.
MI Cape Town: Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Nicholas Pooran, Jacques Snyman, Jason Smith, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Karim Janat, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult
Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Jonny Bairstow, Quinton de Kock (wk), Matthew Breetzke, Jordan Hermann, Tristan Stubbs (c), James Coles, Marco Jansen, Lewis Gregory, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Adam Milne
Both spinners and pacers have had equal assistance in Cape Town this season. Pacers’ average (23.39) has been identical to spinners’ (24.83) here. However, slow bowlers (8.27) have been more economical than speedsters (10.24). This has been the second-highest scoring venue in SA20 2026, with batters striking at a rate of 151.02 in four games.
Expect another nice batting surface for this contest. Batters should enjoy more, especially since both teams have quality batters. The team winning the toss might elect to field first, with a score of around 180 being a fighting total.
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Rashid Khan has left the SA20 2026 tournament after a brief stint due to national commitments. MI Cape Town will not only need a new captain but also a solid replacement, which can be arduous, given the quality Rashid brings. He is irreplaceable, even if his recent form hasn’t been as convincing, so MICT have suffered a massive blow.
To replace him, they don’t have many options and will likely pick one of Jacques Snyman or Dane Piedt. Both have played at some stage in the tournament before and bring ample experience. Snyman also brings a lot of batting value, though MICT haven’t used his batting potential wisely so far.
However, one out-of-the-box option for MI Cape Town could be to bring Thomas Kaber, who can be an X-factor in this contest. Kaber brings a wealth of domestic experience and can contribute with both bat and ball. His T20 batting is not as explosive, but MICT already have a long batting lineup.
His record at Newlands has also been terrific: 8 wickets, 8.37 average, 6.09 economy, & 3/20 best. Among all the grounds where he played at least two games, his average has been the best here. Spinners have had ample assistance at this venue, and Kaber is a genuine wicket-taker who can operate effectively in the middle overs.
Additionally, he is also a wrist-spinner, like Rashid, and will maintain the variety in the bowling attack. With his presence, George Linde can operate a few overs in the powerplay and provide accuracy from one end. Hence, Thomas Kaber will be the attacking spinner who can be expensive but will bring a high wicket-taking value.
The likes of Jacques Snyman and Dane Piedt haven’t been as impressive in the limited chances, and they are also finger spinners, like Linde. Hence, MI Cape Town should bring in an attacking spinner with a proven record at this venue. Rashid’s presence didn’t allow Thomas Kaber to feature in the tournament so far, but this is the best opportunity to use him.
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