Former West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard on December 7 took over the captaincy of MI Cape Town in SA20, which is scheduled to begin on January 10.
Initially, the team had announced ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan as their captain, but he is currently recovering from an injury.
"Rashid Khan is unavailable currently, as he continues his recovery from injury. The MI Cape Town wish Rashid a quick recovery and look to have him back on the playing field soon," the franchise said in a media statement.
However, Rashid has been included in Afghanistan's squad for a three-match T20I series in India, though it's doubtful that he will be available.
MI Cape Town will commence their tournament campaign with a match against Durban SuperGiants (DSG) on January 11.
The Cape Town team boasts prominent players like Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, and Liam Livingstone.
In the absence of Rashid, Pollard will lead MI Cape Town and will make his debut in the SA20. Despite being retained by MI Emirates for ILT20 in 2024, Pollard's captaincy will be assumed by Nicholas Pooran. It's uncertain whether Pollard will participate in the final segment of ILT20 in the UAE with MI Emirates.
Pollard recently competed for New York Strikers (NYS) in the Abu Dhabi T10 league, where his team faced defeat in the final against Deccan Gladiators (DG).
Meanwhile, Pooran, Pollard's CPL teammate at Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), opted out of his West Indies central contract to become a free agent. In September 2023, Pooran was revealed as DSG's wildcard pick and is expected to participate in three SA20 matches before joining MI Emirates for the second season of ILT20.
The SA20 is scheduled to take place from January 10 to February 10, while the ILT20 will begin from January 19 to February 17. These two leagues will overlap with New Zealand's Super Smash, Pakistan Super League (PSL), and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
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