Match: Paarl Royals vs MI Cape Town, (PR vs MICT, Match 16, SA20 2022/23)
Date: January 21, 2022 – 5 PM IST
Venue: Boland Park, Paarl
Paarl Royals and MI Cape Town, who faced off in the inaugural match of SA20 are set to lock horns in this return fixture on January 21st. The Royals will host the contest at Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday afternoon.
Paarl Royals have played five matches in the tournament so far, winning two while facing three losses. They have nine points to their credit with one bonus point. David Miller’s men were defeated by five wickets in the most recent game versus Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Wihan Lubbe top scored with 28 off 21 in another batting failure for the Royals, who posted only 127/7. Bjorn Fortuin snared 3 for 20 off his four overs while Lungi Ngidi picked two scalps, reducing Eastern Cape to 93 for 5. But they just didn’t have enough runs on the board.
The star-studded MI Cape Town haven’t had the start they would have hoped for. They have played five games, winning two and losing three. The Rashid Khan-led side has nine points, having bagged one bonus point. In the most recent fixture versus Sunrisers Eastern Cape, they were stunned by Marco Jansen’s blinder of a knock.
Grant Roelofsen top scored with 56 off 36 while Ryan Rickelton made 46 before MICT lost their way. Delano Potgieter and Odean Smith played crucial cameos to power them to 171/6. MI Cape Town had reduced the Sunrisers to 6 for 101 before Jansen blasted 66 off 27 to take his team home.
Pitch Report and Weather Forecast for PR vs MICT, Match 16, SA20 2022/23
Boland Park in Paarl has provided good assistance for the bowlers over the years, especially for spinners. The average first innings score at this venue stands at 157. In the three matches played here in SA20, the first innings scores read 81, 169 and 127.
The weather in Paarl is expected to be sunny and hot on Saturday afternoon with no threat of rain. The temperature will hover around 33°C in the afternoon.
Paarl Royals – Expected XI and Team News
Paarl Royals brought in Corbin Bosch and Codi Yusuf in the previous game. They have a batting line-up comprising Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, David Miller and Eoin Morgan. Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin and Evan Jones form the bowling attack.
Probable XI – Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Wihan Lubbe, David Miller (c), Eoin Morgan, Evan Jones, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
MI Cape Town – Expected XI and Team News
There’s still no word on Liam Livingstone’s availability for the season. Jofra Archer played the last match but could be rested for this to manage his workload. Olly Stone could come into this side. Duan Jansen is sitting on the bench and might also be in contention.
Probable XI – Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Grant Roelofsen (wk), Sam Curran, Delano Potgieter, George Linde, Rashid Khan (c), Odean Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Olly Stone
Best Captaincy Picks for the PR vs MICT match
Jos Buttler: Wicketkeeper Batter, Paarl Royals
One of the best players in the world, Jos Buttler hasn’t quite got going in this tournament, scoring 129 runs at 32 average and 122 strike rate. Buttler has over 4700 runs as an opener in T20 cricket, averaging 44 while striking at 150, including six hundreds and 61 fifties.
George Linde: All-rounder, MI Cape Town
George Linde has been superb for MI Cape Town with both bat and ball. He has scored 104 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 170. The left arm spinner has also bagged three wickets at an economy of 6.86. He could be a good C/VC option.
Bjorn Fortuin: Bowler, Paarl Royals
The left arm orthodox spinner has been outstanding for the Royals, picking nine wickets at an economy of just 6.10. Bjorn Fortuin has taken 3 for 14 and 3 for 120 in the last two games. Paarl assists spinners and he could be a great C/VC option.
Top Differential Picks
Wihan Lubbe: All-rounder, Paarl Royals
Wihan Lubbe has scored 125 runs in the ongoing competition at an average of 25 while striking at 140. He has been the top scorer for the Royals in the last two games with 57 and 28. He’s picked by 36% of the MPL teams and can be a good differential.
Grant Roelofsen: Batter, MI Cape Town
Grant Roelofsen has been pretty solid for MICT in the middle order, scoring 121 runs in four innings at an average of 30 and strike rate of 127. Roelofsen has scored two fifties in the tournament. Picked by only 20% of the MPL teams, he can be a top differential.
MPL Fantasy XI
Where and what time to watch the match live in India
Viacom18 has bagged the rights of South Africa’s SA20 League broadcast in India. You can watch the Paarl Royals vs MI Cape Town match on Sports18 at 5 PM on Saturday. You can also catch the action live on online streaming platform Jio Cinema.
Note: The players recommended here need not be a part of the Playing 11 on game day. Users are advised to do their own research also and follow official sources and create their teams.
