MI Cape Town thump Sunrisers Eastern Cape to win maiden SA20 title

JOHANNESBURG: A combined batting effort, followed by Kagiso Rabada’s four-wicket haul, led MI Cape Town to thrash defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape by 76 runs and win the SA20 2025 here at The Wanderers on Saturday.

The Sunrisers, who won the first two editions of the league, failed to continue their winning run in this year’s edition as they were outclassed by Rashid Khan-led MI Cape Town.

The Afghan spinner’s decision to bat first in the final bore fruit as his batting unit racked up a formidable total of 181/8 in the allotted 20 overs.

Leading the way for Cape Town were middle-order batters Connor Esterhuizen and Dewald Brevis, who shared a 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Esterhuizen top-scored with a 26-ball 39, studded with two fours and as many sixes, while Brevis smashed two fours and four sixes on his way to an 18-ball 38.

Meanwhile, top-order batter Ryan Rickelton also added valuable runs at the top with a quickfire 33 off just 15 deliveries with the help of one four and four sixes.

Marco Jansen, Richard Gleeson and Liam Dawson bagged two wickets each for the Sunrisers, while Aiden Markram and Craig Overton made one scalp apiece.

Chasing a daunting 182-run target, the Sunrisers’ batting unit unfolded on a meagre 105 in 18.4 overs and thus failed to defend their title.

Tom Abell, Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs were the only Sunrisers’ batters to amass double figures, while the rest seemed clueless against a Rabada-led MI Cape Town bowling attack.

Abell remained the top-scorer with 30, followed by de Zorzi with 26, while Stubbs made 15.

Rabada was the standout bowler for MI Cape Town in the SA20 final, picking up four wickets for just 25 runs in 3.4 overs, while Trent Boult and George Linde took two each.

For his economical bowling figures of 2/9 in his four overs, Boult was adjudged the Player of the Match.