AFGHAN DUO RASHID KHAN AND AZMATULLAH OMARZAI SIGN UP FOR MICT

Rashid Khan will be back at MI Cape Town alongside his Afghanistan teammate Azmatullah Omarzai for Betway SA20 Season 3. 

Rashid and Azmatullahi are full of confidence after forming part of the first Afghanistan team to progress to the semi-finals of the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US. 

Rashid captained MI Cape Town in Betway SA20 Season 1, but was unfortunately ruled out with a back injury last season. The leg-spinner claimed nine wickets at an average of 30.0, but was particularly miserly with an economy rate of just 6.92 across 10 matches. 

Azmatullah, meanwhile, is a hard-hitting seam-bowling all-rounder that will add a great deal of explosiveness to the MI Cape Town line-up.

The 24-year-old is an experienced franchise league cricketer, having played in 105 matches across tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Lanka Premier League and Global T20 Canada.

He was recently in action in the Global T20 Canada where he finished as the leading wicket-taker for the Montreal Tigers with 11 scalps at an average of 8.81 and economy of 4.85.

MICT have also retained Sri Lankan left-arm seamer Nuwan Thushara after he replaced English fast bowler Jofra Archer last season. 

Thushara, whose slinging action is reminiscent of Sri Lankan legend and MI Cape Town fast bowling coach Lasith Malinga, claimed eight wickets in five matches at an average of 19.25. 

South African-born Englishman Chris Benjamin has also been retained by MICT, with the hard-hitting batter hoping to do better than Season 2 when he didn't get gametime. 

Benjamin, 25, has previously been part of the MI family having played for MI Emirates. 

Main image: ICC/Getty