MICT vs PR Dream11 Prediction: 3 Top Captain Or Vice-Captain Choices For Qualifier 1
Ryan Rickelton and Mujeeb ur Rahman (Source: @MICapeTown/X.com, @paarlroyals/X.com)
Just one step away from the all-important final, MI Cape Town (MICT) and Paarl Royals (PR) will go head-to-head against each other in the Qualifier 1 of the SA20 2025 at St. George's Park, Gqeberha. This high-profile encounter will take place on 4th February, from 9:00 PM IST.
MI Cape Town
Led by the Afghanistan superstar Rashid Khan, MI Cape Town finished the SA20 2025 season at the top of the table after ending with 35 points from 10 matches as they won seven of them while having five crucial bonus points, with a healthy NRR of +2.446. MI haven't lost a game since their fourth match of the season and are now on a five-match winning streak, with two consecutive wins against the Pretoria Capitals in the last two games of the group stage.
Paarl Royals
The Boland Park-based Paarl Royals side have had a similar win ratio to their opponents, with seven wins from 10 games. However, they have lost three games and have fewer bonus points, with a total tally of 28 points to their name this season, while having a decent NRR of +0.370. They started the tournament well, with seven victories in their first eight games, having lost just one. However, their last two games of the season against the Joburg Super Kings and the SunRisers Eastern Cape ended up in defeats.
St. George's Park, Gqeberha – Pitch For Qualifier 1 Of SA20 2025
The St. George's Park surface has been complex to understand this season, with pacers dominating in both innings of the game as the track has offered excellent pace and bounce. The batters have mostly struggled here, with the average score being 150 in the five matches so far. Stroke play is quite tricky, with the ball moving and seaming around, especially in the powerplay. Spinners are getting a bit of turn, which helps them make the batters sometimes struggle for runs.
Pacers who hit the deck hard and bowl into the surface will enjoy a lot more, considering the pitch makes it difficult for batters to spend time in the middle. Batters who put in the effort will be rewarded, as playing the initial deliveries on merit will help them understand the surface better.
Top 3 Captain And Vice-Captain Choices For MICT vs PR:
3. Rassie van der Dussen
Why Rassie van der Dussen Is An Ideal Choice For The Captain Or Vice-Captain's Role?
Explosive and dependable simultaneously, MI Cape Town's Rassie van der Dussen has been the highest run-getter in this year's SA20, with 330 runs at an excellent strike rate of 134.14, averaging 55 in nine games so far. His highest score in this year's competition came against Paarl Royals, where he scored 91 off 64 deliveries on a tough batting surface, as he smacked five sixes to take his side to an excellent total.
In his overall career, Rassie has over 6,400 runs in 220 matches, where he averages 37.89 and strikes at 131.98. His ability to change gears quickly against any bowler and any opposition makes him a highly effective batter, even in challenging conditions.
2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Why Mujeeb Ur Rahman Is An Ideal Choice For The Captain Or Vice-Captain's Role?
Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is plying his stint for the Paarl Royals in this year's SA20, has been simply magnificent with his off breaks and mystery deliveries as he has picked 14 wickets at an impressive economy of 6.52 while averaging 18.57 in 10 matches this season.
He has been challenging to get away in the tournament, bowling consistent lines and lengths while picking wickets regularly, even on batting-friendly surfaces. He can bowl very well in the powerplay and trouble the batters with his complicated variations to read off his hand. In his overall T20 career, Mujeeb has bagged 275 wickets from just 254 games as his economy rate has been just 6.74.
1. Ryan Rickelton
Why Ryan Rickelton Is An Ideal Choice For The Captain Or Vice-Captain's Role?
Despite playing just six games this season for MI Cape Town, left-handed opener Ryan Rickelton has managed to amass 259 runs at a brilliant average of 51.80 while striking at an astonishing 177.39, helping his side get excellent starts right from ball one. He has an outstanding ability to smack massive sixes against the best bowlers, especially when he is in full flow.
Even in international cricket, he racked up a double century in the recent series against Pakistan. Whereas, if we talk about his overall T20 career, he is close to 3,000 runs with an exact figure of 2,970 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 140.49, where the average is 29.70, across 113 T20 matches in his entire career. He is an excellent striker of the cricket ball and can change the course of the game with his big-hitting abilities.