All-rounder Mitchell van Buuren says it’s important for the Central Gauteng Lions to make a strong start to their T20 Challenge title defence. KHUNULOGO MPOLOKENG reports.

Van Buuren will captain the Lions for the opening rounds of the tournament while regular skipper Bjorn Fortuin is on tour with the Proteas.

The Lions beat the KZN Dolphins by seven wicket in last season’s final at the Wanderers in April to claim their fifth T20 Challenge title.

They will open the new season at the same venue on 27 September against the Northerns Titans before playing the other six teams in a single round of matches before the playoffs.

At the tournament launch in Edenvale on Thursday, Van Buuren admitted that this season’s single-round format puts pressure on teams to start the competition strongly.

“There’s only seven matches, and from past experience, in [last season’s] one-day competition, we learned that if you don’t start well, it’s not easy playing catch-up.

“We’re well aware that we need to hit the ground running [next] Friday night and that’s something that excites us. When we play the Titans it’s always a high-pressure game, it’s always a heated battle. We’re happy that we’ll be playing them at the home of [South African] cricket, the Wanderers.”

The Lions also won last season’s 4-Day Series, and Van Buuren attributes their success in both red-ball and white-ball cricket to squad depth.

“We had an unbelievable squad of players, we were blessed with a lot of the Proteas guys who came down. It would have been easy for them to not necessarily play for the team because they’re big names, but they took a lot of pride in and care for the Lions badge.

“At the Lions, everyone really takes pride in playing for the franchise and that’s why we’re so successful. We really do care for the Lions, and no matter who plays, it’s all about the team.”

The 26-year-old also shared his thoughts on the opportunity to captain the Lions.

“There’s definitely pressure because the Lions franchise is so massive and we’ve been successful over the years. So that’s something that I have to carry on my shoulders.

“But it’s very important that I don’t focus on that sort of pressure and just focus on leading by example and making the best decisions for the team.”