Kagiso Rabada shines on SA20 debut as MI Cape Town thump Joburg Super Kings

Kagiso Rabada shines on SA20 debut as MI Cape Town thump Joburg Super Kings

MI Cape Town utilised high-quality spin and raw pace to dismantle the Joburg Super Kings by seven wickets in their SA20 clash at Newlands on Saturday.

The home side returned to winning ways after their slip up against the Durban Super Giants on Friday with a commanding win in front of a packed crowd.

It was MI Cape Town's bowling unit that set it all up with Proteas kingpin Kagiso Rabada making his SA20 debut after Jofra Archer and Olly Stone was rested.

West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith and Afghanistan wrist-spinner Waqar Salamkheil were also drafted into the hosts' starting XI to play their first games of the competition.

Rabada seemed to enjoy the extra week of rest after the flight from the Test series in Australia as he bristled in from the Wynberg End. His reward was bountiful as he sent Proteas teammate Reeza Hendricks' off stump cart wheeling.

This set in motion a procession in the Joburg Super Kings dressing room with the visitors suffering yet another top-order collapse.

After Rabada's initial strike, the three-pronged MI Cape Town's spin arsenal took centre stage on a turning Newlands pitch.

George Linde (2/25), Waqar Salamkheil (1/19), and captain Rashid Khan (2/18) delivered their collective total of 12 overs for sum total of 5/63.

And when the pacemen returned Rabada (2/25) and Smith (2/10) combined to restrict the Super Kings to just 110/9.

The MI Cape Town openers Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton then played like they were batting on an entirely different surface as they raced to 65 without loss.

Rickelton (23) gave his wicket away though with a wild swing to a Gerald Coetzee delivery, but Brevis continued to swing freely as he struck three sixes and two boundaries in his 34-ball 42.

Coetzee, who was also making his debut in the inaugural tournament, picked up both wickets and finished with 2/24.

Rassie van der Dussen (14 not out) and Sam Curran (15) ensured there was no further damage as they took MI Cape Town to their second victory of the competition.