• Can injury-hit JSK end Sunrisers’ hat-trick title bid?

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    The Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Joburg Super Kings will meet in the SA20 eliminator playoff  in Centurion on Wednesday.

    The winner will face the Paarl Royals in the second playoff qualifier in Centurion on Thursday.

    MI Cape Town on Tuesday booked their place in the final with a clinical win against the Royals at St George’s Park.

    The eliminator is a rematch of the 2023 semi-final at the same venue when Sunrisers captain Aidan Markram struck a magnificent century to knock out Faf du Plessis’ Joburg Super Kings.

    Du Plessis is wary of history repeating itself, but believes they are prepared for the challenge two seasons on.

    “I did think about it when I saw the fixture,” Du Plessis said. “What happened then was on that day we got outplayed by a special knock from Aiden. So hopefully it’s a little bit different this time around.”

    Du Plessis’ greater concern is “just trying to think of 11 players to get on the park” after all-rounder Donovan Ferreira was ruled out of the knockout clash due to injury.

    Ferreira joins a long list of Super Kings – Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, Gerald Coetzee, Beuran Hendricks and David Wiese – who have already fallen by the wayside.

    “It’s a big loss. For every injury, you definitely feel the weight of the injury. I think from a positive perspective, we’ve lost five bowlers already this season,” Du Plessis said.

    “But the guys who have stepped up really have been nothing short of remarkable. Lutho Sipamla and Hardus Viljoen have come in and really stepped up.

    “That’s the nature of sport. Unfortunately, injuries do feel like they come at a big cost.

    “But on the flip side of it, it creates an opportunity for someone else to either take it or not take it. So those two guys have done a great job of taking the opportunities and similarly, someone will have to step up into the big shoes of Donovan.

    “But it’s a great occasion on a great stage. If you make a play in a big match, a knockout stage, it also has great repercussions for that player. So I see it as a great opportunity for someone else.”

    The Sunrisers are the double defending champions and have the experience of winning knockout matches. Markram, though, believes this will count for little on the day.

    “It’s a completely new game, you don’t walk on to the field thinking you’re ahead because you’ve been in that position before We pride ourselves on winning from any position, we will scrap and try to find a way to win.”

    Photo: Ron Gaunt/Sportzpics

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    Dylan Johnson