Faf du Plessis made a triumphant return to form during the SA20, playing a crucial role for Jo’burg Super Kings as they convincingly defeated MI Cape Town, significantly bolstering their chances of securing a playoff spot. Before this crucial encounter, both Super Kings and MI were in contention for the final playoff position, and the yellow-clad team enhanced their prospects with a resounding victory in the rain-affected match, earning them a valuable bonus point.
MI struggled in their batting innings, with Rassie van der Dussen’s slow start (16 off 18 balls) contributing to their powerplay score of only 43 runs. Rain interrupted the match after six overs, causing a three-hour delay before the restart. The reduced fixture to eight overs compelled MI to adjust their plans. Despite the setbacks, Kieron Pollard’s late onslaught, featuring three sixes off David Wiese in the final over, propelled MI to a total of 80/3.
With the revised target set at 98 runs in eight overs, Du Plessis showcased his intent from the beginning, taking charge of the chase. Leus du Plooy provided a blazing start, hitting the first two balls for sixes in Nuwan Thushara’s opening over, which went for 18 runs. Du Plessis continued his aggressive approach, particularly against Kagiso Rabada, amassing 36 runs in the first two overs.
Du Plessis, showing no signs of his earlier poor form, took on Rabada for a hat-trick of boundaries and a six. The openers displayed urgency with the looming threat of rain. Racing against time, Du Plessis accelerated towards an unbeaten 20-ball fifty. Du Plooy, at the other end, contributed an unbeaten 41 off just 14 balls. In a remarkable display, Super Kings chased down the target in less than six overs, securing a comprehensive 10-wicket victory through the DLS method.
Brief scores: MI Cape Town 80/3 (Kieron Pollard 33*; Imran Tahir 2/13) in 8 overs lost to Jo’burg Super Kings 98/0 in 5.4 overs (Faf du Plessis 50*, Leus du Plooy 41*) by 10 wickets (DLS method)
Also read: How Joburg Super Kings Still Qualify for Semi-finals of the SA20?
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