Ryan Rickelton and Noor Ahmad (Source: @SA20_League/X.com)
Match 16 of the ongoing electrifying SA20 league 2025 will feature low-on-confidence Durban's Super Giants (DSG) against the high-flying MI Cape Town (MICT) at the Kingsmead, Durban, on 21st January from 9 PM IST. These sides are at the opposite end of the spectrum, with one at the top while the other reeling at the bottom.
Durban's Super Giants
Luck has been staying away from Keshav Maharaj's Durban's Super Giants, atleast for the past three games, as they lost all of them by a fair bit of margin. And two of those have come against the defending champions, SunRisers Eastern Cape, after losing to them by 58 runs and six wickets, respectively, during those outings. Especially in the last game, they were a no match to the opposition after only being able to manage 115 on the board, while SEC finished the game inside 16 overs to earn a bonus point.
Kane Williamson fought hard to score 44 but consumed 45 deliveries, whereas Naveen-ul-Haq was clearly the best performer with 30* off just 15 balls. Skipper Keshav Maharaj was classy with his left-arm spinner delivering figures of 2/18 (4), while Noor Ahmed was brilliant too with a spell of 1/25 (4) and was very well-supported by Naveen again. On the table, they are stationed at rock-bottom with six points from five games, while winning one and losing three, with one getting abandoned due to rain.
MI Cape Town
Right at the top are MI Cape Town, with three wins from five games and, most importantly, two bonus points that gives them 14 points in total, with NRR being the best of the lot. MI came here after absolutely destroying Joburg Super Kings in the last game as they chased down 173 with absolute ease in just 15.5 overs and, hence, earned the crucial extra point while boosting their NRR.
It was all possible due to opener Ryan Rickelton playing another gem of an innings, where he scored 89 from just 39 deliveries, smashing as many as six sixes and was given ample support by Rassie van der Dussen (39) and Reeza Hendricks (34*). Meanwhile, Hendricks was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/7 (2).
Kingsmead Pitch Report For Match 16 Of SA20 2025
The pitch at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban has been extremely good for the side batting first because no teams so far have been able to chase the score down here. Batters can score runs at a decent pace, and bounce always helps their cause. Spinners will be crucial and come into play during the second half. Pacers, meanwhile, would want to ensure they bowl good lines and make use of this wicket. All in all, the team winning the toss will likely bat first here.
Top 3 Captain and Vice-Captain Choices For DSG vs MICT
1) Ryan Rickelton
South African opener Ryan Rickelton has only played two matches so far this season due to injury but made an immediate impact in the last game he played against JSK, thwacking them all over the park with a gritty 89 off just 39 deliveries with as many as six sixes to his name. Rickelton was outstanding in the last series against Pakistan, and it's only fair that he is picked ahead of everyone in this form. His strike rate was 228.21 during that epic knock, whereas his overall strike rate in SA20 has been over 160.
2) Noor Ahmad
Spin sensation Noor Ahmad has been nothing short of magnificent all around the world in the recent past, with wickets in any condition and any surface you ask him to bowl on. Noor's massive ability to bring the ball into the right-hander causes problems for most batters, as has been the case with many left-arm wrist spinners. With seven wickets in this year's SA20 from five matches and an economy of 7.06, Ahmad is an excellent choice as C/VC of any side.
3) Reeza Hendricks
Reeza Hendricks displayed in the last game why he is preferred ahead of so many players. Asked to bowl against JSK, Hendricks delivered a crucial spell of two overs with two wickets for just seven runs, which changed the momentum of the game by far. Reeza can be quite influential when MI Cape Town plays at Kingsmead, where the pitch will only get slower with time. On the other hand, his performances with the bat have been inspiring, with 127 runs while averaging 31.75 in the competition.