Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra has predicted Joburg Super Kings (JSK) and MI Cape Town (MICT) to potentially play each other in the final of the inaugural SA20 season.
Both teams have made a winning start to their campaigns, with the Rashid Khan-led Cape Town-based franchise securing a bonus point in the process as well.
The teams will also be looking to extend their momentum as they make their presence felt in the tournament's first set of double-header contests on January 13. While MI Cape Town will face Durban's Super Giants, the Joburg Super Kings are set to take on the Paarl Royals.
Making an early prediction call where he sees MI Cape Town and Joburg Super Kings playing in the finale on February 11, Chopra said:
"I am prediciting Joburg Super Kings and MI Cape Town to win the double header matches today. They are strong teams and it is possible that they may play each other in the finals as well. But, there is still a long way to go in this tournament."
The sister franchises of the two sides, namely the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), share a storied rivalry in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The two IPL teams have won a combined total of nine titles and have faced each other thrice in the finals.
"It really did not make a lot of sense" - Aakash Chopra on Quinton de Kock's captaincy
Durban's Super Giants (DSG) fell to a defeat against the Joburg Super Kings on Wednesday, January 11, at home. They now have the uphill task of facing MI Cape Town in an away fixture.
Questioning DSG skipper Quinton de Kock's tactics in the defeat and noting that their three-pronged spin attack won't be much impactful in Cape Town, Chopra said:
"Quinton de Kock was not able to utilise his bowlers well nor was he able to figure out the batting order in their first game. It really did not make a lot of sense. Their spinners bowled really well, but there might not be that much turn on offer in Cape Town."
The wicketkeeper-batter does not have a good record when it comes to captaincy. He was appointed as South Africa's skipper, taking over from Faf du Plessis, but did not find much success in the role before eventually stepping down and being replaced by Temba Bavuma.
Who will win the inaugural edition of SA20? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: "JSK vs PR will be interesting to see because it is going to be batting vs batting" - Aakash Chopra
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