Friday’s match marks Match 26 of the 2026 SA20 competition. Match 26 has Sunrisers Eastern Cape traveling to Cape Town to face the MI Cape Town.
Here is a look ahead at the contest.
MI Cape Town VS Sunrisers Eastern Cape Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
MI Cape Town VS Sunrisers Eastern Cape Date: Friday, January 16
MI Cape Town VS Sunrisers Eastern Cape Odds:
History
We are coming down to the wire in the 2026 edition of the SA20 competition. The six teams all have either one or two games left to secure a top-four spot and move on to the playoffs.
While no team is technically eliminated yet, MI Cape Town needs a miracle to sneak into fourth spot. The hosts here are at the bottom of the log with 10 points from eight matches. They have the league’s worst NRR, have only won twice all season, and their 53-run defeat at the hands of Pretoria on Monday was a hammer blow to their finals aspirations.
Their only route to the playoffs starts with a win against Sunrisers Eastern Cape on Friday. They need to win both their remaining matches, while the Joburg Super Kings lose both of theirs, and Durban’s Super Giants also lose their final contest.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape are in a much stronger position. They are level on points at the top of the log with the Paarl Royals and have a vastly superior NNR. They are all but locked into one of the top two spots, and they picked up a huge win last time out over the Joburg Super Kings.
That win was by 61 runs after they set the Super Kings a total of 179 to win at St. George’s Park. The Super Kings didn’t get close, with only James Vice posing any resistance (30) as they were bowled out for 117.
MI Cape Town
Are two bonus point wins possible for MICT to sneak into the playoffs?
It seems unlikely, but sports aren’t played on paper for a reason, and maybe this sense of desperation will drive the hosts to a victory here.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
This is a team primed for another run. SEC has played in all three finals, winning two of them, and they became the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. Finishing in the top two is massive, and with young players like James Close stepping up alongside the established stars, this is a team that will be a tough out.
Coles was Player of the Match in Sunrisers last outing after he crushed 64 runs from 31 balls.
Best Bets
I just don’t see MICT having enough to beat a team with Sunrisers’ overall power. Taking the Eastern Cape side at 3/4 to have the top batsman is a bet I like, but you have to be wary of Ryan Rickelton.
Rickleton has single-handedly tried to keep MICT in this comp with his aggressive, skilled batting. If you think an upset is in the works, the Rickleton will have to be a part of it. He is 49/10 to be the best batter on display.
