Last Updated: January 24, 2023, 20:23 IST
English batter Will Jacks grabbed the limelight for smashing a Virat Kohli-Esque six on Monday during the SA20 match between Pretoria Capitals and MI Cape Town. Jacks, who is currently the leading run-getter in the season so far, scored quickfire 62 runs off just 27 balls against MI Cape Town at Newlands, Cape Town.
Jacks smacked 5 fours and as many sixes after Rashid Khan invited Pretoria Capitals to bat first. On the last ball of 4th over, Jofra Archer pitched it short and Jacks replicated Kohli’s iconic six against Haris Rauf in the 2022 T20 World Cup match. Jack shifted his weight and then played the shot on the rise to smash it over the bowler’s head for a maximum.
The sensational shot went viral on social media and the fans instantly started to compare it with Kohli’s iconic six.
Kohli hit that shot at a very crucial stage of the game. It was the fifth ball of the penultimate over when Kohli smacked Rauf straight down the ground off the backfoot for a six which was rated as a shot of the tournament by many. The batting maestro followed it up with a flick over fine leg, reducing the equation to 16 off the final over in one of the most memorable IND-PAK contests ever. The Men in Blue went on to win the clash.
Interestingly, Jacks and Kohli will both play for the same team in IPL 2023 – Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Meanwhile, Pretoria Capitals put daylight between themselves and the five other SA20 teams after claiming a 52-run victory over second-placed MI Cape Town at Newlands.
After being sent into bat, the Capitals flew out the blocks when Jacks (62 off 27 balls) and Kusal Mendis (29 off 19 balls) smashed their way to an 88-run partnership after seven overs.
The innings hit a speed bump when Rashid Khan (3/16) and Odean Smith (2/27) grabbed three wickets between them in 17 balls.
Theunis de Bruyn (36 off 26 balls) stabilised the innings before some lusty blows by James Neesham (22* off 18 balls) at the back end of the innings guided the Pretoria-side to 182/8.
MI Cape Town’s chase got off to a rocky start when they lost Ryan Rickelton (11 off 11 balls) and Sam Curran (22 off 18 balls) by the eighth over.
Dewald Brevis (46 off 30 balls) and Rassie van der Dussen (24 off 25 balls) got the innings back on track with a 47-run partnership but when the former fell to Anrich Nortje (3/22) the Capitals were well on top.
That dismissal proved pivotal as the MI Cape Town innings snowballed, losing their remaining seven wickets for just 29 runs.
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