MI Cape Town: Kieron Pollard will be the captain for MI Cape Town in the upcoming season of SA20, while Nicholas Pooran will take over the leadership duties at MI Emirates ahead of the new season of ILT20. Both Pollard and Pooran are team-mates at the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Pollard’s debut in SA20 comes after Rashid Khan, who led MI Cape Town in SA20 2023 season, is unavailable currently, as per the franchise. Rashid underwent back surgery after Afghanistan’s campaign in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, and the franchise said he continues his recovery from injury.
On Saturday, Rashid was named in Afghanistan’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series in India, though the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) added that he may not play any game due to his ongoing recovery. “MI CT wish Rashid a quick recovery and look to have him back on the playing field soon.”
Pollard, the former West Indies skipper, was retained by MI Emirates for the ILT20 in 2024, but with the league in clash with SA20, he is now headed to South Africa while Pooran will captain the side in the UAE. It is not clear yet if Pollard will join MI Emirates in the ILT20 once SA20 season two ends on February 10.
On the other hand, Pooran was unveiled as the wildcard pick for Durban’s Super Giants’ ahead of SA20 auction last year, and is likely to play three matches in the tournament before linking up with MI Emirates for ILT20 season two.
The SA20 will run from January 10 to February 10, while the ILT20 happens from January 19 to February 17. The two leagues are also in clash with New Zealand’s Super Smash (December 19, 2023 to January 28, 2024) and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), happening from January 19 to March 1.