MCT vs PR Match Preview
MI Cape Town is the pre-tournament favorite to win and that is largely because of its bowling lineup. MI Cape Town could potentially have Kagiso Rabada, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, and Duan Jansen in their lineup.
There is pace, variety, and world-class experience making it perhaps the best bowling lineup in SA 20 2023.
Of course, we did not mention Rashid Khan who is always a force to be reckoned with in this format. The batting lineup is led by Dewald Brevis, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, Grant Roelofsen, and George Linde. The core of the batting group is South African with Liam Livingstone in the squad to add power as well.
David Miller leads the Paar Royals side and he has Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, and Dane Vilas as the core of the batting group.
In South African conditions where the ball is expected to come on nicely to the bat, Roy, Buttler, and Miller could be formidable. We are a bit concerned about the rest of the batting lineup. They have Wihan Lubbe, Dane Vilas, and Mitchell van Buuren but the bulk of the work will have to be done by the overseas players.
The bowling lineup for the Paarl Royals is also strong but nowhere close to what MI Cape Town can put on the field. Obed McCoy, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, and Bjorn Fortuin are all likely to feature for the Paarl Royals.
Weather Report
The weather forecast for this match is excellent and we should not have any interruptions.
Pitch Report
Cape Town normally offers up an excellent cricket wicket that has a lot of pace and bounce to work with. The batters are able to use this pace to score freely. The average score is 171.2 and 200 is definitely not out of the question. We think teams will aim for something around 180 to be somewhat comfortable defending.
Notable stats
Jos Buttler at the Peak of His Powers
Buttler is now a World Cup winner in the T20 format as well. His 2022 was brilliant, to say the least. He played 23 innings, scored 1108 runs, averaged 52.8, and had a strike rate of 148.9.
Team News
Both teams have full squads to choose from. Jofra Archer is only going to play two matches in the SA 20 so he may not feature in the first outing.
MCT vs PR Probable 11
MCT Playing 11
- Grant Roelofsen
- Ryan Rickelton (Wk)
- Rassie van der Dussen
- Dewald Brevis
- Sam Curran
- Liam Livingstone
- Rashid Khan (C)
- Duan Jansen
- Odean Smith
- Beuran Hendricks
- Kagiso Rabada
PR Playing 11
- Jason Roy
- Jos Buttler (Wk)
- Dane Vilas
- David Miller (C)
- Eoin Morgan
- Wihan Lubbe
- Ferisco Adams
- Andile Phehlukwayo
- Bjorn Fortuin
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Lungi Ngidi
Dream11 Prediction
Two strong teams with an excellent core of players are going to go up against each other. MI has never won the opening match of an IPL tournament. We think that jinx could follow MI Cape Town as well. The Paarl Royals have some very good batters to combat the MI bowling lineup and we think they have a good chance of ending up the winners.
Top Picks
David Miller - Miller has been quietly returning to his best and leadership seems to suit him. We expect a massive performance from him to start the SA 20.
Bjorn Fortuin - Left-arm spinners have done pretty well in South African conditions and Fortuin could be the differentiator you need in your Dream 11 lineup. He has the goods to deliver under pressure.
Liam Livingstone - Is there a more versatile player on the planet right now? Livingstone can bat anywhere, hit sixes at will, bowl off-spin or wrist spin with ease, and is a brilliant fielder. Have him in your Dream11 team with eye closed.
MCT vs PR Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: J Buttler, D Vilas, R Rickelton
Batters: D Miller (C), J Roy, L Livingstone, D Brevis
All-rounders: S Curran (VC)
Bowlers: B Henricks, B Fortuin, L Ngidi
