MI Cape Town vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Final - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

This month-long extravaganza has ended. SA20 have a new champion. SEC have been denied the hat-trick. No third time lucky for them. Rather it is the law of averages which has caught up with them. MICT couldn't have written a better script. They were flawless throughout. And the silverware has their name etched on the trophy. We will have newer names tomorrow featuring in another finale. But the T20 caravans are coming to end for the moment being till the IPL begins. The focus will shift on ODIs as the Champions Trophy will be the toast in the upcoming?weeks. But the evening was about MICT and they would be the team to beat next season!?We will see you tomorrow with more cricketing action. This is our of team of MS Ramakrishnan, Venky and Kumar Abhisekh Das signing off.

Another key moment was the send off to Rashid Khan from Gleeson after dismissing him. Some heated words were exchanged, so much so that Rashid did not even walk back to his dressing room and umpire had to intervene. You could sense that it was going to fire up Rashid and the entire MICT outfit. Never rile up champion players they say! Dewald Brevis said at the innings break that they will fight hard as a team and boy, they came out firing with the new ball and held control of the game since. Rashid's animated celebration after taking Stubbs's catch showed how they wanted to give it back and get that title.

One massive game-changer today was how both the sides handled the powerplay with the bat. The new ball was seaming and swinging so the MICT openers, especially RvD, made it a point to ensure he kept moving around in the crease to not let the bowler bowl to his plans. Rickleton swung hard, rode his luck and they had a fifty-partnership inside 5 overs. In contrast, the Sunrisers weren't as proactive and played timid cricket in the powerplay, which led to 2 quick wickets inside the first three overs. It was always an uphill task from there for the Orange Army who also had to deal with 4 overs of Rashid Khan outside the powerplay. Linde also had two RHBs to bowl to at the crease for a good part and with the pitch aiding some turn the Sunrisers, having not capitalized in the powerplay, let themselves with no chance of winning their third title.

The Champions pose with the Trophy. The shutterbugs do the rituals. Massive result for a team who came in to this season with nothing to lose. The MI camp stayed positive and the result is a title win. Patience after all is a virtue!

Rashid Khan: Tonight was brilliant. We had couple of tough years. The highest points across three seasons to start off. Feel happy for this team. Brilliant effort from everyone. Throughout this season, we didn't play a selfish innings. Every one thought what the team needs. Even today, every one played their natural game. We had KG, Bosch, Boult and then George. So, happy to be part of this bowling line up. Amazing to be back. Missed last year due to back injury. I got a phone call ahead of the season that do you want to lead. I said yes. This is the only franchise which has won every tournament. We have won the IPL, MLC, the ILT20 and now the SA20.

Aiden Markram | Sunrisers Eastern Cape Captain: I thought we tried hard. Credit to them for putting our batters under pressure. You had world class bowlers swinging and nipping it around. They bowled incredibly well and made it tough for us. MI Cape Town have been brilliant this season, definitely the deserving winners. We scraped away. We weren't playing our of best cricket this season but we had players stepping up so it tells the character of the team.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape collect their runners-up medals

Lhuan-dre Pretorius has won the Batter of the season award. He has been the find of the season as per us. What a massive and explosive talent at the top. He exploded at the top and Paarl got the benefits. His range is good and if guided well, he surely can prosper in the long run. The franchises across the world must have been watching and this young man will travel the world as a T20 mercenary. He is taking baby steps on the big stage and we can only wish him luck!

Marco Jansen | Player of the Season: We adapted well as bowlers. We always found a way to get the team over the line. I just tried to learn from the top order batters. They help me a lot. Aiden helps me in the nets. I try to put the team in the winning positions. Sometimes I am on the lucky side to put the team on the winning side and it's definitely needed in this format.

Marco Jansen has won the Bowler of the season award. He deserves it. He had a tough final at the WT20 2024. But he has bounced back superbly. He also added a few runs with the bat. He is a sharp bowler and his height for sure will be disconcerting for batters most of the times. He has also pocketed the Player of the season award. He is only going to get better!

Lhuan-dre Pretorius - Batter of the season: I have the backing of the coaches (To bat aggressively). I learnt quite a bit from Rooty and a few of the big players. It will stay with me for a very long time

Marco Jansen - Bowler of the Season

Dewald Brevis gets the rising star award. And rightly so. He is such a freak talent. His catch at the fence in the game against JSK in the rain marred game was one of the highlights of the tournament. If there is one highlights package of this season, most of it will have this lad. He was everywhere. He even picked up wickets. His runs at the end almost every time gave his team the cutting edge.

Dewald Brevis | Rising Star of the season: There are a few things I have changed. I am all for hard work. I love doing whatever I can for the team.

Robin Peterson: The guys enjoyed each other's company. The guys have friendships that will last long. Was well led by Rashid. Pretty easy to lead them. Everybody put in their best. The camaraderie. They put their energies into this.

Spirit of Cricket team award - MI Cape Town

Match officials get their medals.

Trent Boult is the Player of the Match: First of all the boys put up a great performance. We scratched to 180 and very satisfying to get the job done. Beautiful place to play. The tournament is well followed. It was nice to get on a wicket that had help for the bowlers. Players stood up at the right points this season.

Losses by 97 runs, 9 wickets and 6 wickets in your first three games could have broken the back of any team and the confidence as well. But not SEC. The champions of 2023 and 2024 came back in a thundering way. They lost two on the bounce again. But amidst the losses they stitched four wins and three wins on the trot. Only a champion team like SEC could have done that. The team was expertly led by Markram and they had an answer to every tough question that was asked of them. Even the final might have looked one-sided but SEC during their bowling innings almost ensured that this could have been a far more close game. The toss didn't go their way either. But still SEC have a template that every other SA unit would want to follow. Jansen with the ball, their skipper with the bat led the way. Hermann and Stubbs had their moments under the sun as well. Their bowling has variety and am sure it would only get more lethal with time.

Kagiso Rabada: I think I was extra focussed as it was a final. They had made three finals in a row. On their day, they can beat anyone. I felt 180 was above par. Everyone bowled well. Rashid and Linde did well in the middle overs. I love playing in SA. It is my favorite place to play. The fans are amazing. The performances have been thrilling.