As the reports previously suggested, Ben Stokes will be joining the Mumbai Indians franchise when England don’t play Tests in January and February next year.
As the reports previously suggested, Ben Stokes will be joining the Mumbai Indians franchise when England don’t play Tests in January and February next year. He will feature for MI Cape Town in the SA20 2025, starting January 9 to February 8.
England won’t have any Test matches scheduled for this period, for they will play ODIs and T20s against India. Stokes is no longer in plans for white-ball cricket after playing his final ODI fixture in the World Cup last year and only focuses on Test cricket.
Apart from Stokes, the Afghan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will also play for MI Cape Town in the upcoming edition. Omarzai has been part of several T20 leagues lately and was with Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2024.
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Omarzai provides value with both bat and ball, and his skills are on the rise in every department. It will be his maiden outing in the league, and the all-rounder will look to make useful contributions.
MI Cape Town already had a star-studded lineup, and the addition of Stokes and Omarzai has provided more depth and quality to the team. The side already comprises the likes of Rashid Khan and Trent Boult in the overseas department.
Ben Stokes is currently nursing an injury he sustained while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred a few days back. However, he might get fit for the Pakistan series away from home and look to make a return to franchise cricket with a stint with MICT.
Among the local players, the team has big names like Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, and Dewald Brevis, who form a solid core. Overall, the side looks strong, with a nice blend of local and overseas talent raring to get going in the competition in a fresh edition.
Despite having a solid team in the previous editions, MI Cape Town finished at the bottom of the points table in both seasons, winning only three games each. They were the worst side in the competition and will hope to win more matches next year.
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